Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has sparked controversy by claiming that the country received 'divine help' during its recent military confrontation with India.

In a speech delivered at the National Ulema Conference in Islamabad earlier this month, Munir asserted that this divine intervention was palpable during the intense fighting that followed India's Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

The remarks, aired on local television on 22 December 2025, come amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing debates about the interplay of religion and military strategy in Pakistan.

The conflict Munir referenced erupted on 7 May 2025, when India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives. Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), prompting a swift Pakistani response.

What ensued was four days of sharp military exchanges between the nuclear-armed neighbours, marked by airstrikes, artillery duels, and cross-border skirmishes, before both sides agreed to de-escalate on 10 May.

Munir's address, laced with religious rhetoric, drew direct parallels between contemporary Pakistan and the Islamic state founded by the Prophet Muhammad over 1,400 years ago. He invoked numerous Quranic verses to emphasise Pakistan's purported divine favouritism within the Islamic world.

Among 57 Muslim-majority countries, Munir claimed, Pakistan holds a unique honour as the 'protectors of Haramain Sharifain'—the sacred sites of Mecca and Medina—bestowed by God Himself.

“We felt it (divine help),” Munir stated succinctly, referring to the perceived supernatural aid during the clashes. This assertion frames the May engagements not merely as a tactical standoff but as a spiritually ordained victory for Pakistan, potentially aimed at bolstering domestic morale and legitimising military actions through religious legitimacy. Such narratives have long been a staple in Pakistani military discourse, especially in times of adversity.

Beyond the India-Pakistan flare-up, Munir turned his attention to security threats along Pakistan's western frontier with Afghanistan. He issued a stark ultimatum to the Taliban government in Kabul, urging it to choose between alliance with Pakistan or support for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 

Munir alleged that 70 per cent of TTP militants infiltrating Pakistan are Afghan nationals, holding Afghanistan accountable for the resulting civilian bloodshed.

“In the TTP formations coming into Pakistan, 70 per cent are Afghans,” he declared, questioning Kabul's complicity in cross-border terrorism. This rhetoric underscores Pakistan's deepening frustrations with the Taliban, despite its historical role in their rise to power. Munir reiterated that the Afghan regime must unequivocally side with Islamabad against the TTP, which has intensified attacks on Pakistani soil.

Munir also delineated the boundaries of religious authority in an Islamic state, insisting that only the state possesses the legitimate power to declare jihad. “No one can issue a fatwa for jihad without the order, permission and will of those vested with authority,” he told the assembly of clerics. This stance appears designed to centralise military and ideological control, curbing non-state actors and rogue elements within Pakistan's volatile religious landscape.

The speech occurred against the backdrop of Munir's recent elevation to Field Marshal, a rare honour conferred jointly by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari. This promotion, symbolised by the ceremonial baton, cements Munir's dominance within Pakistan's power structure, where the military often overshadows civilian governance. Official transcripts of the 10 December address remain unreleased, lending an air of opacity to the full context of his words.

Munir's invocation of divine assistance in the May conflict has reverberated across South Asia, particularly in India, where it is viewed as propagandistic revisionism. Operation Sindoor was widely hailed in New Delhi as a precise and successful counter-terror operation, exposing vulnerabilities in Pakistan's air defences and terror networks.

Pakistani claims of celestial intervention contrast sharply with Indian assessments of the engagements, which reported significant losses on Islamabad's side, including downed aircraft and disrupted launchpads.

Analysts interpret Munir's remarks as part of a broader strategy to Islamise Pakistan's national security narrative, rallying public support amid economic woes and internal insurgencies.

By positioning Pakistan as a divinely ordained guardian of Islam's holiest sites, Munir elevates its geopolitical stature, potentially justifying aggressive postures against perceived enemies like India and the TTP. This fusion of faith and force echoes historical patterns, from the 1965 and 1971 wars to more recent Kashmir skirmishes.

Regionally, the speech exacerbates Indo-Pak tensions, which simmer despite the May ceasefire. India's strikes underscored its zero-tolerance policy towards cross-border terrorism, while Pakistan's responses highlighted its reliance on asymmetric warfare and religious mobilisation. International observers, including the United States and China—Pakistan's key allies—have remained muted, wary of reigniting a nuclear flashpoint.

Domestically, Munir's address reinforces the Pakistan Army's self-image as the vanguard of Islamic destiny, a theme amplified through state media and religious alliances. The National Ulema Conference itself serves as a platform for such synergy, bridging military brass with influential clerics to shape public discourse. Critics, however, decry it as militarised theology that stifles pluralism and fuels extremism.

Looking ahead, Munir's words signal no easing of Pakistan's confrontational stance. His warnings to Afghanistan could precipitate border escalations, while divine claims against India may embolden hardliners. As 2025 draws to a close, South Asia braces for potential volatility, with Munir's promotion and rhetoric positioning him as the architect of Pakistan's martial-religious fusion.

This episode highlights the enduring challenge of religion in Pakistan's security calculus, where spiritual narratives often eclipse strategic realities. For India, it reaffirms the need for vigilance against hybrid threats blending terror and propaganda. Asim Munir's speech, thus, is not mere oratory but a manifesto of intent in an unstable neighbourhood.

Agencies