Srinagar, Aug 14 (JKNS): Pakistan’s military leadership, headed by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has come under sharp criticism after attending the retirement ceremony of US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla in Tampa, Florida a figure hailed by Israel as its “favourite general” for his role in sanctions and military operations against Iran and backing Tel Aviv’s campaign in Gaza.
Political analyst Ajmal Shah, as per news agency JKNS, said the act coupled with Pakistan’s earlier conferment of the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) on Kurilla “exposes Islamabad’s duplicity” in professing solidarity with Muslims while aligning with Western and Israeli agendas.
“Kurilla’s tenure saw heightened military posturing against Iran and active support for Israel’s Gaza operations. Pakistan’s military endorsement of such a figure, despite projecting itself as a champion of Muslim causes, is a betrayal of the very Ummah it claims to defend,” Shah remarked.
The criticism also draws parallels with Pakistan’s domestic record, particularly what human rights groups call “state-enabled persecution” of its Shia population roughly 15-20% of its 240 million citizens. Incidents such as the November 2024 Parachinar massacre, where over 130 people were killed following sectarian violence, are cited as examples of Islamabad’s failure to protect Shias.
Shah alleged that militant outfits like Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi continue to target Shias with impunity, often under the tacit protection of state elements, while systemic exclusion in education, jobs, and politics further entrenches discrimination.
He further accused Pakistan of “weaponising Islam” for geopolitical ends, pointing to its silence over China’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims and selective outrage against India, contrasted with open collaboration with US-Israel-aligned military figures.
“From aiding Jordan’s suppression of Palestinian fighters in 1970 to sponsoring groups in Jammu & Kashmir for its own strategic goals, Pakistan’s history is littered with betrayals of Muslim causes,” Shah added, urging Muslims globally especially in J&K to “see through the false narratives of brotherhood.”
Shah said that Pakistan’s actions reveal “a state driven by power politics, not Islamic principle,” warning that Shias, Kashmiris, and the wider Muslim world remain pawns in Islamabad’s pursuit of influence. (JKNS)
