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Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Islam is…': What Pakistan Army Lt Gen said after operation ‘Bunyanum Marsoos'
Pakistan Army's Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif on Sunday told the media that Islam was not just essential to the faith of individual soldiers but was also an integral part of the army's training. The Pakistan Army spokesperson was asked about Operation 'Bunyanum Marsoos', the retaliatory operation targeting Indian military bases after India launched Operation Sindoor, following the Pahalgam terror attack. A Pakistan journalist asked Lt Gen Sharif about the use of Islamic terminology in naming the operation and the reason behind the early morning attacks. In his response, the spokesperson said that Islam was part of the Pakistan Army's training beyond their personal beliefs. "It is part of our faith. Iman, taqwa, jihad fi sabilillah (Faith, Piety, Struggle in the name of God) that's what drives us, that's our motto. We have a Army chief who has faith and the leadership's faith and commitment translates into such operations," he said. The Pakistan Army's motto was changed from Muhammad Ali Jinnah's 'ittehad, yaqeen, tanzeem (Unity, Faith, Discipline)' to 'Iman, taqwa, jihad fi sabilillah' under Pakistani military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq's regime. The motto which is often associated with jihadi discourse has, in the past, also been repeated by Pakistan army chief General Asim Munir. "The name of the operation tells you that those who fight in the path of Allah are like a wall of steel. We thank Allah and the people of Pakistan and its media," he added. Lt Gen Sharif made headlines recently after reports claimed that his father Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood had ties with Osama bin Laden. According to a TOI report, Mahmood was a Pakistani nuclear scientist who travelled to Afghanistan to meet bin Laden shortly before 9/11. He was also interrogated by the CIA and FBI, the report claimed. On the other hand, Director General of Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti cited a couplet from the Ramcharitmanas to illustrate India's position of "patience followed by anger". "Vinay na manat jaldhi jad, bhaye teen din beet, bole Ram sakop tab, bhay binu hoi na preeti," he said, quoting Lord Ram's words after he prayed for days to the Sea God to grant him passage to Lanka. The couplet "bhay bin hoy na preet' translates to there is no love or respect possible without fear. 'What message is being conveyed… A hint is enough for a wise person," Bharti remarked. (Also read: DGMO's Virat Kohli reference at Operation Sindoor briefing: 'Ashes to Ashes…')
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Islam not just our faith but integral to our army's training, says Pakistan general
The has never made any bones of its Islamic underpinnings, proudly bearing the motto 'Iman, Taqwa, Jihad fiSabilillah' (faith, piety, struggle in the name of God) as it goes about its business. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now So, it was hardly a surprise when Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) said at a press briefing on Sunday that Islam was not just integral to the faith of individual soldiers but was part of the army's training. He was responding to a question whether the name of Pakistan army's operation, ' ', and early morning attacks on Indian civilians and military establishments were guided by the path shown by Allah. His clear admission of Islamabad's remorseless support for jihad literally eliminates any difference between the jihadis in uniform and those without, like Lashkare-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed which have been waging a war against India for decades by infiltrating terrorists into Kashmir and elsewhere, targeting civilians and armed forces. 'Islam is part of not only the belief of each one of us but part of our training. It is part of our faith, it is what drives us,' Lt Gen Sharif said. Elaborating on the army's motto, he said, 'We have an army chief who has a strong belief in it. The leadership and his belief and commitment translates into different operations.' On Pakistan army naming its operation 'Bunyanum Marsoos', he said those who fight for Allah are like a 'steel wall'. Lt Gen Sharif was recently in the news for more than his professional duty. His jihadi associations were all over social media with his father Mahmood Sultan Bashiruddin, a former scientist with the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, linked to extremist organisations and even being associated with . In contrast, at a press briefing in New Delhi, director general of air operations Air Marshal A K Bharti reminded the adversary of a befitting reply for any transgression from the pause in hostilities agreed upon by the two countries.
