Why Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir's 'two-nation' speech is going viral

Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir emphasised that the ideological divide between Hindus and Muslims was the foundation of Pakistan's creation

Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir reignited the debate around the two-nation theory during a recent speech in Islamabad, stating that Pakistanis are "fundamentally different from Hindus in religion, culture, traditions, thoughts, and ambitions."

 

Speaking at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention on Wednesday, Munir emphasised that this ideological divide was the foundation of Pakistan’s creation.

 

“You have to narrate Pakistan’s story to your children so that they don’t forget it when our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life,” Munir said, reiterating the belief that led to India's partition in 1947.

 

He further stressed that Pakistanis must remember and pass down the story of their country to the next generation to "preserve the nation's identity."

 

 

"Our religion is different, our customs are different, our traditions are different, our thoughts are different, our ambitions are different — that’s where the foundation of the two-nation theory was laid. We are two nations, we are not one nation,” he stated.

 

Munir said that Pakistan was created due to the "sacrifices of our forefathers." "They have sacrificed immensely, and we have sacrificed a lot for the creation of this country, and we know how to defend it," he said. 

Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir spews hate against #Hindus and propagates the #TwoNationTheory, which failed in 1971 when Bangladesh got independence from Pakistan. He asserts that children must be taught such "falsehoods" since it's easier to brainwash youth. Shameful! pic.twitter.com/vaVZhEK4v8

— Taha Siddiqui (@TahaSSiddiqui) April 16, 2025

 

What is Two-Nation Theory?

 

The Two-Nation Theory was a central tenet in the creation of Pakistan, asserting that Muslims and Hindus in British India were distinct nations, each with their own religion, customs, and traditions. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the All-India Muslim League and founding father of Pakistan, was a prominent proponent of this theory.

 

In his 1940 address at the Lahore session of the Muslim League, Jinnah said that Hindus and Muslims belonged to two different religious philosophies, social customs and have nothing in common.

 

"It is extremely difficult to appreciate why our Hindu friends fail to understand the real nature of Islam and Hinduism. They are not religions in the strict sense of the word, but are, in fact, different and distinct social orders, and it is a dream that the Hindus and Muslims can ever evolve a common nationality," he said.

 

Pakistan was born from this idea, while India, even though it had more Hindus, chose to be a secular country.

 

Pak Army chief on Balochistan insurgency

 

Asim Munir also vowed to eliminate "all threats" in the restive Balochistan region, which has seen a spate of separatist attacks recently. “We will beat the hell out of these terrorists very soon. You think these 1,500 terrorists can take away Balochistan from us?” he said.

 

The Pakistan Army chief further said that even “10 generations of terrorists cannot harm Balochistan and Pakistan.”

 

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest yet least populated province, has been marred by longstanding insurgency driven by grievances over exploitation and human rights abuses by the Pakistani state.

 

The region has witnessed a number of militant attacks recently. On March 11, 2025, members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent separatist group, hijacked the Jaffar Express train in the Bolan Pass, taking hundreds hostage and resulting in 64 deaths, including all 33 attackers.