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Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday told Shia religious leaders that those who love Iran so much should go there. The leaders of Shia community have termed his statement as insulting and provocative.
According to media reports, Munir said this at an Iftar party of Shia community in Rawalpindi. He said that he will not allow anyone to create chaos in Pakistan because of his loyalty to any other country.
Earlier he had also warned that violence will not be tolerated in Pakistan on the basis of incidents in any other country.
After this statement, Shia community says that this is like questioning their patriotism. They believe this statement misrepresents their religious sentiments and identity.
There were demonstrations in Karachi on 1 March to protest against the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There was arson, to stop which the police resorted to lathicharge.
Munir suddenly left the program
According to reports, after the meeting the Ulemas were told that talks would be held again after dinner. But General Munir suddenly left the program. Due to this, Shia leaders felt that they had been insulted not only formally but also personally.
Leaders of the Shia community said after this controversy that their loyalty is to both Pakistan and Islam. He also reminded that the Shia community has made an important contribution in the creation of Pakistan. Many big leaders and resources of the country have been associated with this community.
Shia leaders say their connection to religious sites such as Mecca, Medina, Iraq and Iran is part of their faith. But this does not mean that his patriotism is less. He clearly said that it is wrong to link religious relations with patriotism.
Munir angry with protests in Pakistan
Shia religious leaders say that from Munir’s statement it seemed that he was blaming the Shia community for the protests in Pakistan after the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Shia leaders present at the meeting said that Munir directly linked the unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan to the Shia leadership and held the entire community responsible.
Shia religious leader Mohammad Shifa Najafi said that he opposed Munir’s statement right there. He said that it is not right to hold all Shias responsible for these incidents. Everyone should not be seen from the same perspective.
Najafi also told that Shias are present in Pakistan’s army and the country’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah was also Shia. According to him, when he raised this issue, there was a slight change in Munir’s attitude, but still he said, “If you love Iran so much, then go there, the doors are open.”
Pakistan is making friends with Iran’s opponents
This statement of Munir has come at a time when Pakistan seems to be changing the balance in its foreign policy. Earlier he tried to maintain a balance between Iran and the Gulf countries, but now he seems to be moving closer to Saudi Arabia and its allies.
However, Pakistan Army’s official statement regarding Munir’s Iftar party with the Shia community presented a different picture. The army said Munir appealed to religious leaders to maintain national unity and avoid communal tension.
15% population of Shia community in Pakistan
Pakistan has the largest Shia population after Iran, which is considered to be about 15 percent (3.77 crore) of the total population.
This controversy has come to the fore when demonstrations started in many cities of Pakistan after the death of Khamenei in March.
Protesters in Karachi tried to enter the US Embassy compound, where US Marines opened fire, killing at least 10 people.
Police used tear gas to stop protesters in Islamabad. A United Nations office was set on fire in Skardu. There were also reports of deaths of many people in Gilgit-Baltistan. —————————————-
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