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ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir underscored the need for national unity, rejection of extremism, and adherence to the writ of the state, saying that no individual or group has the authority to declare jihad in any Islamic state.&nbsp;He made these remarks during his address at the National Ulema and Mashaikh Conference held in Islamabad on Dec. 10, according to the details shared by PTV on Sunday. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 722px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2002667282426908833&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e0d8b861ad4673be6b7289b636bec3e477aecac6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir spoke at length on the challenges facing Pakistan, including terrorism, national security, regional developments, military preparedness, and the importance of knowledge.&nbsp;The conference was attended by religious scholars and clerics representing various schools of thought from across the country.&nbsp;The army chief said Pakistan had been bestowed with the responsibility of being &ldquo;protector of the holy sites,&rdquo; adding that there was a deep ideological and historical linkage between the State of Madinah and the State of Pakistan.&nbsp;He noted that both were established on the foundation of the Kalima during the holy month of Ramazan.&nbsp;He said nations that abandoned their intellectual and scholarly heritage and the power of the pen eventually declined, stressing the importance of knowledge and thought leadership for national progress.&nbsp;Referring to counter-terrorism operations, Field Marshal Munir said Pakistan had witnessed divine assistance during Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos. He reiterated that the state alone had the authority to issue decrees related to jihad, warning against the misuse of religious narratives.&nbsp;The army chief also expressed concern over terrorism targeting innocent civilians, including women and children, alleging that such acts were being carried out with the backing of Afghan Taliban elements. He said formations linked to &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij&rdquo; operating from Afghanistan included a significant number of Afghan nationals.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir said Afghanistan would have to choose between supporting extremist elements and maintaining relations with Pakistan, adding that terrorism posed a serious threat to regional stability.&nbsp;The army chief concluded by calling for collective efforts to counter extremism, safeguard national security, and promote unity based on Pakistan&rsquo;s ideological foundations.

Security

Army chief says Pakistan has been bestowed with the responsibility of being 'protector of the holy sites.'

CDF calls for unity against terrorism, stresses state’s authority on jihad

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Israel&#39;s military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir dismissed several senior officers over their failure to prevent the October 2023 attacks by Hamas. Following an investigation, Zamir said late Sunday he had fired and also reprimanded several senior commanders over the military&#39;s failure &quot;to protect the civilians of the State of Israel.&quot; Israel&#39;s military chief on Nov. 10 called for a &quot;systemic investigation&quot; into the failures that led to Hamas&#39;s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as the government dragged its feet on establishing a state commission of inquiry on the matter. &#39;A&nbsp;significant step&#39;Zamir made the call following the publication of a report by an expert committee he himself had appointed, which, according to him, marks the conclusion of the military&#39;s internal investigations into the Oct. 7 attacks. &quot;The expert committee&#39;s report presented today is a significant step toward achieving the comprehensive understanding that we, as a society and as an organization, require.&quot; Zamir was quoted as saying in the report. &ldquo;To ensure that such failures never recur, a broader understanding is needed &mdash; one that encompasses the inter-organizational and inter-hierarchical interfaces that have not yet been examined.&quot;

FILE: Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir speaks during a funeral in Kfar Saba on November 11, 2025 (AFP)

Middle East

Dismisses and reprimands senior officers over failures linked to Hamas’s October 2023 attack, urging broader investigation; Zamir made the call following the publication of a report by an expert committee he himself had appointed

Articles tagged with "Army chief"

CDF calls for unity against terrorism, stresses state’s authority on jihad

Israeli military chief says army failed to protect Oct 7 attack