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Former Singapore Envoy Bilahari Kausikan Critiques Pakistan Military And Asim Munir
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News18•07-10-2026, 13:45
Former Singapore Envoy Bilahari Kausikan Critiques Pakistan Military And Asim Munir
- •Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan criticized Pakistan's ideological direction under Army chief Asim Munir in a recent podcast.
- •Kausikan argued that the original rationale of Pakistan as a homeland for South Asian Muslims disappeared after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
- •He stated that the Pakistani military has transitioned from a largely secular force to a religious one, remarking that an army allowing soldiers to grow beards is in trouble.
- •Kausikan questioned Pakistan's efforts to maintain strategic relevance through ties with Saudi Arabia, noting Riyadh did not call on Islamabad when attacked by Houthis.
- •He previously warned that Pakistan faces fundamental domestic issues such as economic mismanagement and jihadist groups, and international concern is driven primarily by its nuclear weapons.
Key Questions Answered
Bilahari Kausikan criticized Pakistan's military for undergoing an ideological transformation from a secular force to a religious military, noting that allowing soldiers to grow beards indicates the army is in trouble.
Kausikan argued that Pakistan was originally founded as a homeland for South Asian Muslims, but that rationale disappeared after Bangladesh split away in 1971, leaving the country with the sole identity of simply not being India.
Kausikan stated that international concern and care regarding Pakistan are driven almost entirely by the fact that the country possesses nuclear weapons, noting that no one would care otherwise.
