Pakistan’s Army chief, General Asim Munir, replaying the military establishment’s age-old anthem, has asked Pakistanis to tell their children of the “stark differences between Hindus and Muslims” as the basis for the Islamic Republic’s creation. Munir invoked the Two-Nation Theory that resulted in the creation of Pakistan in 1947.
“Our forefathers believed that we were 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,” said General Munir.
“You must tell this to your children so that they never forget the story of Pakistan,” Munir said during his speech at the Convention for Overseas Pakistanis on Wednesday.
The Two-Nation Theory, which was championed by Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1940s, argued that Muslims and Hindus constituted distinct nations. On this basis, Jinnah advocated the necessity of a separate homeland for Muslims. This ideology led to the partition of British India in 1947, and the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim-majority state.
Pakistan, which started as an Islamic Republic, pledged to take care of its minorities, including Hindus. The number of minorities in Pakistan has dwindled over the decades.
