Pakistan's General Asim Munir is itching for a fight. Are his soldiers willing?

Pakistan's Army chief General Asim Munir appears to have triggered the terrorist attack at Pahalgam with an incendiary speech days before in which he spoke of Kashmir being the jugular vein of Pakistan. "Our stance is very clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle," he had said.

It is widely believed that Gen. Munir is itching for a conflict with India to shore up the eroding credibility and acceptance of military in Pakistan. But the question that comes up is: are his soldiers as eager to fight as he appears to be?

Military in Pakistan is passing through a crisis when large chunks of public have openly turned against it due to the generals openly meddling in political affairs. This is not new for Pakistani generals but it's the first time people have started speaking opnely against the military. Such a situation can impact the morale of the soldiers who also operate with a high degree of vulnerability due to rising insurgency within Pakistan.


Also Read | PM Modi gives armed forces full freedom to decide 'mode, timing & target' of India's response to Pahalgam terror attack

The truth about resignations in Pakistani military
Recently, social media has been abuzz with rumours of resignations and desertions in Pakistani military. Several documents of purported military correspondence circulating on social media reveal mass resignations in Pakistani military. A viral advisory, issued on April 26 by Major General Faisal Mehmood Malik, the Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), addressed all ranks of the armed forces, urging them to maintain morale and reaffirm their loyalty to the nation.

However, a Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, has checked several such documents and found them to be fake due to irregular use of language, wrong style and mistakes. A senior military official at the Peshawar Corps headquarters told Dawn, “The resignation of army personnel is totally baseless. This is the fake news which is circulated by Indian social media accounts.”

Though these documents could be fake, it is a fact that the morale of Pakistani soldiers is not exactly high. Though militaries in various countries operate in challenging circumstances that can take a toll on the morale of the soldiers, Pakistani military is passing through a peculiar crisis where it is not only facing highly motivated terror attacks but also losing mass support which is one reason many believe why Gen Munir wants to revive terrorism in Kashmir.

Also Read | The groundwork before India mounts a strike at Pakistan

The pressure on Pakistani soldiers
While rumours of resignations and mutiny seem to be just rumours, everything is not right within the Pakistani military. The political landscape in Pakistan was significantly altered by the arrest and imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan, leading to escalating tensions between the civilian population and the military establishment. Imran Khan's arrest in 2023 triggered widespread protests across Pakistan. Supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party stormed military installations, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore, resulting in extensive property damage and several fatalities. In response, the military initiated trials for over 3,200 individuals, with 25 civilians sentenced to prison terms ranging from 2 to 10 years in military courts.

The military's actions have led to a significant erosion of public trust. The use of military courts to try civilians has been perceived as an overreach, intensifying perceptions of authoritarianism and undermining democratic norms .

The military's increasing involvement in political affairs, coupled with actions perceived as suppressing dissent, has led to a significant shift in public sentiment. Many PTI supporters, who once viewed the military as a stabilizing force, now see it as an adversary undermining democratic processes. This sentiment is reflected in widespread protests, public statements, and social media campaigns.

These trends must be impacting the soldiers too who have a large number of Imran Khan supporters among them. They must be disillusioned with the top brass over their involvement in political affairs, including the crackdown on PTI supporters. This can lead to divisions between operational troops and senior leadership.

The rising terror incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also had a demoralising impact on Pakistani soldiers who face continuous deployments in hostile environments with high casualty risks, particularly in KP's tribal districts and Balochistan's remote areas. The frequency of ambushes, IED attacks and targeted killings can create a state of persistent stress and fatigue among frontline troops. More than 100 deadly attacks in Pakistan by Islamist militants and separatist rebels made March the deadliest month over a decade with 335 people killed, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Just as Pakistani soldiers are disillusioned with their generals meddling in politics, they also bear the brunt of growing terror attacks by highly motivated groups. These factors can impact the morale of Pakistani soldiers, affecting both the military's operational readiness and internal cohesion.