Pakistan army chief vows to 'crush all proxies'

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has warned that terrorist groups using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan pose a growing threat, vowing that the country will “crush all proxies” and defend every inch of its territory.

Speaking at the Pakistan Military Academy’s passing-out parade on Saturday, the army chief said Pakistan’s armed forces, with public support, would defeat terrorism “in all its forms,” calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to prevent their territory from being used for cross-border violence.

“Law enforcement agencies and armed forces, with the full support of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan [provinces], will surely defeat this menace,” Munir said.

The remarks come amid an escalation in militant attacks along Pakistan’s western border, which Islamabad blames on groups operating from Afghanistan — a charge Kabul denies.

Munir also addressed tensions with India, urging New Delhi to exercise restraint after what he described as “provocative rhetoric” from across the border.

“There is no space for war between two nuclear-armed nations,” he warned, adding that any aggression would be met with a “decisive response.”

The army chief’s speech also highlighted Pakistan’s expanding regional partnerships.

He termed a new defense pact with Saudi Arabia a “milestone” in strengthening cooperation across the Muslim world and contributing to “stability in the Middle East and South Asia.”

Munir praised Pakistan’s growing ties with China and described renewed engagement with the United States as a “welcome development.”

On foreign policy, Munir reiterated Pakistan’s “principled stance” on Kashmir and Palestine, condemning what he called India’s “state terrorism” in the disputed Kashmir region and Israel’s “aggression and forced displacement” in Gaza.

“The world has finally taken notice of Israel’s actions,” he said, reaffirming Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as the Palestinian capital.

Concluding his address, Munir said Pakistan’s armed forces stood ready to defend the nation against all threats, declaring: “Our journey is not over; the enemy remains restless, but our resolve is unwavering.”