Islamabad, November 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s government has allegedly yielded to Army Chief Asim Munir’s demand to turn the country into a “hard state”, a policy blamed for worsening political instability, public dissent and violence, according to a report published in Eurasia Review.
The report argued that Pakistan’s worsening situation required a rational approach and a departure from rigid and uncompromising policies.
Retired Indian Army officer Nilesh Kunwar, writing in Eurasia Review, said Pakistan’s military claimed to be targeting terrorists of “all hue and colour”. However, he argued that instead of pursuing a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy, the army was following a policy of containing terrorism at a manageable level rather than eliminating it.
Kunwar cited Pakistan’s record of signing at least seven major peace accords and several informal truce agreements with militant groups since the post-9/11 War on Terror. He said none of these agreements had endured, while the army continued making concessions to terrorist organisations.
The report also noted that eliminating militant and secessionist activities required more than military force, a reality that Pakistan’s army chief had himself acknowledged.
Kunwar referred to Munir’s remarks before Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee on National Security, where he asked: “How long will we continue to fill the governance gaps with the blood of the armed forces of Pakistan and the martyrs?”
According to the report, Munir, given his influential position in Pakistan’s hybrid political system, was expected to recognise the broader dimensions of the security challenge and address the governance-related issues contributing to it.
Instead, the report alleged, the army chief had adopted a punitive approach, allowing security forces to intensify operations without adequately protecting civilians.
It said Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were witnessing a sharp escalation in violence and repression, with enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings by security forces and intelligence agencies becoming increasingly common.
The report further claimed that the use of heavy weapons, drones and fighter jets had resulted in substantial civilian casualties, deepening anti-army sentiment among local populations.
It also criticised Munir’s handling of protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), saying his military-centric approach had contributed to unprecedented unrest in the region.
The report said the peaceful protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in PoJK were driven by governance failures and economic grievances rather than any political or ideological agenda.
It alleged that instead of pursuing negotiations to resolve the issues, the authorities opted for military action, with the use of force resulting in several deaths and serious injuries.
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