Asim Munir Vows Action Against Alleged India-Backed Terror Groups

“Field Marshal Asim Munir directed troops in Peshawar to maintain operational readiness and pledged continued action against groups the military describes as India-backed.”

— Editorial Team

Key points

Field Marshal Asim Munir directed troops in Peshawar to maintain operational readiness and pledged continued action against groups the military describes as India-backed.
The statement comes as independent monitoring shows a sharp increase in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026.

General|By Editorial Team|Published 23-Oct-26|Latest update 10/23/2026, 9:25:19 AM|2 min read

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir has directed troops to maintain operational readiness and continue counterterrorism activity during a visit to the Corps Headquarters in Peshawar, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations.

The military’s media wing said Munir received briefings on the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, continuing counterterrorism operations, border-management measures and the preparedness of formations stationed in the province. The Peshawar corps commander received him at the headquarters.

ISPR attributed to Munir a pledge to pursue groups the military describes as Indian-sponsored and to strike them wherever they operate. The statement, as reported, did not publicly detail evidence supporting that attribution or identify particular groups, locations or newly authorised operations.

Munir also praised the morale and professionalism of officers and soldiers and instructed them to maintain vigilance. He paid tribute to civilians and members of the security forces killed or wounded in militant violence and said public support would be central to defeating armed groups and their ideology.

The visit followed a Federal Apex Committee meeting at the Governor House in Peshawar, attended by senior civilian and military officials. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired that session, which reviewed the province’s security situation and the federal administration’s plans for restoring stability and pursuing development under governor’s rule.

The security backdrop remains severe. A Centre for Research and Security Studies assessment found that violence-linked fatalities across Pakistan rose from 774 in the second quarter of 2026 to 1,415 in the third quarter, an increase of about 83 per cent. Its report, available at https://crss.pk/pakistan-records-83-surge-in-violence-as-balochistan-death-toll-triples/, recorded 829 fatalities in Balochistan and 556 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the quarter.

The Peshawar visit also came one day after police said four personnel and two suspected militants were killed during an exchange of fire in Karak. ISPR’s latest statement emphasised readiness and continuation of the existing campaign but did not announce a separate operation, timetable or troop deployment.