Tag: asim munir

Chief of Defence Staff and Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met with Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and recent Iranian attacks on the Kingdom.

After the meeting, the Saudi minister posted on X: “We discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them … We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian side will exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation.”

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share a multifaceted relationship rooted in strategic military cooperation, economic interests, and Islamic heritage. Riyadh has historically provided financial assistance and oil supplies to Pakistan, strengthening bilateral ties.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently credited Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts with helping prevent heavier Iranian strikes on Saudi Arabia. He said the attacks were aimed at United States military bases and allied facilities in the Gulf.

In a related development, Pakistan requested Saudi Arabia to provide an alternative oil supply route through Yanbu. The move comes after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, to maintain the country’s fuel supply chain.

The meeting follows the “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” signed in Riyadh in September last year between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Under the pact, any attack on either country is considered an act of aggression against both.

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz awarded the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class to Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, highlighting his contributions to reinforcing the relationship between both nations.

The development was reported on Monday, with the Saudi Press Agency indicating that the medal was conferred in appreciation of Field Marshal Munir’s “exceptional efforts to enhance the strategic partnership and collaboration between the two countries.” The award ceremony occurred in Riyadh during a meeting between the Saudi defence minister and the Pakistani military leader.

As reported by the Saudi Gazette, the King Abdulaziz Medal consists of five distinct classes: Excellent, First, Second, Third, and Fourth. This accolade is granted to individuals who have made significant contributions to Saudi Arabia or its institutions.

During their meeting, Prince Khalid extended fecilitations to Field Marshal Munir on his recent appointment as Pakistan’s chief of defence forces and conveyed hopes for his success in this position. The Saudi publication noted that discussions encompassed Saudi-Pakistani relations, defence cooperation, and various issues related to international peace, security, and shared interests.

In a post on X, Prince Khalid stated, “Following the direction of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, I presented Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir with the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class for his outstanding contributions to enhancing our partnership and advancing Saudi-Pakistani relations.”

Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) mentioned that the meeting also covered topics such as regional security, military and defence cooperation, strategic collaboration, and geopolitical developments. The military’s media wing highlighted that the engagement represents the enduring relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

ISPR characterized the King Abdulaziz Medal as the highest national honor in Saudi Arabia. The announcement emphasized the recognition of Field Marshal Munir’s military service and leadership, as well as his efforts in promoting defence cooperation, strategic alignment, and institutional collaboration between the two nations.

The statement also alluded to cooperation in counterterrorism and security-related endeavors, linking these efforts to broader regional stability. It noted that the award reflected the contributions made in these areas through the ongoing partnership between Islamabad and Riyadh.

Earlier in the year, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia finalized a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, which stipulates that an attack on either nation would be regarded as aggression against both. In November, the chief of the Saudi armed forces expressed the kingdom’s intention to enhance defence and strategic cooperation with Pakistan.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has pledged to defend the country’s water rights at all costs, even if the forces have to destroy any controversial dam that India seeks to build on the Indus waters.

“We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it,” the army chief reportedly told members of the Pakistani-American community present at a black-tie dinner hosted by Adnan Asad, Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday.

“The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river,” he added.

The COAS said that India projected itself as a “Vishwa Guru [global teacher]” while its intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was involved in transnational terrorism, citing incidents in Canada, Qatar, and the arrest of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. Jadhav was apprehended red-handed by law enforcement agencies in 2016 while infiltrating Pakistan from the Saravan border area of Balochistan with Iran.

Condemning India’s “unprovoked aggression” across the Line of Control (LoC) during the four-day conflict in May, he mocked New Delhi’s reluctance to admit battlefield losses. He thanked US President Trump for his “strategic leadership” in preventing an India-Pakistan war and other global conflicts.

The field marshal said that Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was “not India’s internal matter but an unfinished international agenda”, vowing support for UN resolutions.

Around 150 guests, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Ambassador Rizwan Shaikh, embassy officials, and prominent members of the diaspora, were present at the event.

In Tampa, the army chief also attended the US Central Command (Centcom) change-of-command ceremony. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Sunday, the field marshal’s engagements included the retirement ceremony of General Michael E. Kurilla, Commander of Centcom, and the Change of Command in which Admiral Brad Cooper assumed charge.

The ISPR said FM Munir praised Gen Kurilla’s “exemplary leadership and invaluable contributions in strengthening Pakistan-US military relations” and expressed confidence that Admiral Cooper “would take this partnership forward to address shared security challenges”.

Munir’s trip came six weeks after his unprecedented lunch with the US president at the White House, a privilege usually reserved for heads of state or government. Following the meeting, Trump praised Munir, saying he was “honored ” to meet the general.

Veteran journalist Azaz Syed has claimed that controversial property tycoon Malik Riaz has written two letters within last month to the Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir. 

The journalist, while speaking on his YouTube channel TalkSHOCK on Wednesday, claimed that the property tycoon wrote the first letter to Field Marshal Munir on June 3, offering an apology over his recent conduct. “He [Malik Riaz] has expressed a desire to serve the country,” Azaz revealed. 

The scribe further claimed that Riaz wrote a second letter to the army chief on June 12 or 13, announcing that he would dedicate 3,000 Kanals of land in the name of military martyrs. 

He went on to say that some leaders in the incumbent government, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Military Intelligence (MI) Major General Wajid, want to resolve the stand-off with Riaz and bring him back to the country, given that the property tycoon is a big businessman and Pakistan needs economic stability.

However, the journalist later added that some individuals do not agree with this approach, saying, “I have heard that DG ISI, DG IB and some other personalities think otherwise.”

On May 31, three days before the property tycoon wrote the first letter to General Asim Munir, an accountability court issued non-bailable warrants for arrest of the property tycoon, his son, Ahmed Ali Riaz and others in the Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) land grab case.

The court directed investigating officer Waqar Anwar to arrest and produce them in court on July 17.

In March, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) issued a press release, claiming that it had sealed “numerous” commercial and residential properties of Riaz across the country for “defrauding people of billions of rupees.”

 
The accountability watchdog further said that it “once again informs the public that several cases of fraud and deception against Malik Riaz Ahmed, owner of Bahria Town, and others are currently under investigation.”

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again credited Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir for helping prevent a nuclear conflict with India.

Speaking at a press conference in The Hague, where the President was attending a NATO summit, President Trump said that he persuaded Islamabad and New Delhi to back down from military strikes by linking peace to trade. 

Explaining how he helped defuse tensions across the globe from Ukraine to Serbia, President Trump stressed that the “most important” of these conflicts was last month’s face-off between arch-rival India and Pakistan.

“And that was not whether or not they may someday have nukes, like we are talking about the Middle East, like we are talking about with Israel and Iran. This is, they have nuclear weapons,” he said.

“I ended that with a series of phone calls on trade. I said, look, if you are going to be fighting each other… It was getting very bad — you know how bad that last attack was. It was very bad. If you are really going to go fighting with each other, we are not going to do any trade. They said, ‘No, no. No, you have to do a trade deal,” the US president said, referring to recent tensions between the two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbours.

He praised Army Chief Munir in glowing terms. Describing last week’s conversation with him, President Trump said, “In fact, I had the General — he was really very impressive — the general from Pakistan was in my office last week. You know Prime Minister Modi is a great friend of mine. He is a great gentleman. He is a great man. And I got them to reason. I said, ‘We are not doing any trade deal if you are going to be fighting.”

“And you know what? They [Pakistan-India] said, ‘No, [they] want to do a trade deal.’ And we stopped the nuclear war,” Trump concluded.

This is the upteenth time Trump has taken credit on record for stopping the clashes between India and Pakistan. 

Following the conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi in May, the COAS met with President Trump at the White House’s Cabinet Room for lunch last week, making Field Marshal Munir the first COAS to hold a one-on-one meeting with a sitting US president.

After the meeting, President Trump interacted with reporters, saying, “I was honoured to meet him (Field Marshal Munir).”

The federal cabinet on Tuesday promoted Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal.

According to reports, a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif approved Gen Munir’s promotion to the rank of field marshal for ensuring the country’s security and defeating the enemy with the success of Operation Bunyan Um Marsoos.

After his promotion, Gen Munir has become the country’s second field marshal – only after former president and military ruler Ayub Khan (1907–1974).

The federal cabinet’s decision comes two weeks after Pakistan gave a befitting response to India’s cross-border aggression, inflicting heavy losses to military infrastructure in retaliatory strikes. The operation was carried out under the leadership of Gen Munir, who has since been lauded by both the government and the public for his strategy, skills and courageous leadership.

The strikes, described by officials as “precise and proportionate” continued till the clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States (US).

Addressing troops following the ceasefire, PM Shehbaz declared the success of the operation a historic moment, saying the armed forces had avenged the 1971 war by giving a decisive and powerful response to Indian aggression.

“History will eternally record, how within a few hours, Pakistan’s defenders extinguished India’s unprovoked aggression with unmatched precision and resolve,” he said while addressing soldiers deployed at the frontline areas in Pasrur Cantonment near Sialkot.

The premier, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, was received at the Cantonment by COAS Gen Munir and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.

Addressing the personnel, PM Shehbaz said the valiant armed forces of Pakistan, fortified by the unwavering resolve of the nation, had defended the motherland in a heroic manner and dealt a decisive blow to the adversary’s dastardly aggression.

He said books would be written on Pakistan’s recent military success, calling it a testament to the bravery and professionalism of the armed forces. He went on to commend the military leadership, especially Gen Munir, a video of which has also gone viral.