Did Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir's 'jugular vein' rhetoric trigger the Pahalgam terror attack?

The terror attack at Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday where terrorists opened fire at a popular tourist spot and killed 26 people, came just days after Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir called Kashmir the 'jugular vein' of vein. The uncanny timing of the attack has stoked speculations that his statement was a trigger for the terrorist groups to unleash the violence, especially during US Vice President J D Vance's India visit. 

Munir's anti-India rhetoric came during a meeting of overseas Pakistanis, in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Spewing venom against India and Hindus, Munir reiterated Pakistan's claim on Jammu and Kashmir and defended the two-nation theory that led to the birth of Pakistan in 1947. 

"Our stance is absolutely clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein. We will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle," Munir told the crowd. He also stated there were "stark differences between Hindus and Muslims" and that the Muslims of Pakistan are "different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life."

"Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different," he exhorted, urging the Pakistanis to tell their children not to "forget the story of Pakistan."

India responded to the statement, saying the "only relationship with Pakistan is the vacating of illegally occupied territories by that country."

"How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein? This is a Union Territory of India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Munir's statement, a pathetic attempt to divert attention from the disastrous state of Pakistan's economic and political situation, was then interpreted as a war cry and a desperate attempt to quell the fears amid the unrest in the country, which many say could lead to Balkanisaiton. There is also a growing sentiment in Pakistan that the Army and the ruling powers have let the population down.

Regional analysts also feel Munir's statement was a call for anti-India terrorists to regroup, especially in the wake of the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill. 

According to Brigadier (Retired) Rahul Bhonsle Munir's statement that ‘Kashmir is our jugular vein' was a sign that terrorist attacks would continue in Kashmir. "Such an incident, which targeted innocent tourists, is a disgusting act. We need to make a strategy to fight back. US Vice President JD Vance is in India on a visit and this attack has given an international message as well. Pakistan wanted to send the message that Kashmir and India are not terror safe," he added.

India