Only State can authorise Jihad, says CDF Asim Munir

Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has said that no individual or group other than the state has the authority to issue orders or religious decrees (fatwas) declaring jihad.

Addressing the National Ulema and Mashaikh Conference, the field marshal said that God had bestowed upon Pakistan the honour of being the guardians of the holy sanctuaries among Islamic countries, adding that there is a deep connection and similarity between the State of Madinah and the State of Pakistan.

He said that both the State of Madinah and Pakistan were established on the foundation of the Kalima during the holy month of Ramadan.

He added that this similarity exists because God destined the former to be the custodians of the holy sites and Pakistan to be their protectors.

The chief of defence forces said that divine support was witnessed and felt during Operation Bunyān-ul-Marsūs.

Field Marshal Asim Munir further said that terrorism, backed by the Afghan Taliban, is targeting civilians and children.

He stated that 70 per cent of the elements of Fitna-al-Khawarij operating from Afghanistan are Afghan nationals, and that Afghanistan must choose between supporting such elements and maintaining relations with Pakistan.

He added that nations which abandoned the intellectual and scholarly legacy of their forefathers suffered decline, reiterating that only the state has the authority to declare jihad.