From a western perspective, memorising all 114 chapters of the Quran might seem an unusual qualification for a national leader. Yet this is a defining feature of the résumé of General Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s chief of army staff since November 2022.
To become a Hafiz – one who knows by heart the entire Quran – requires committing 77,430 words to memory, each recited with precise pronunciation in classical (not modern) Arabic. This accomplishment earns the revered title of Hafiz Sahb or Sheikh and reflects deep religious devotion. To put it into perspective, it would be akin to Sir Keir Starmer memorising the biblical books of Genesis, Numbers and Judges – together totalling more than 72,000 words.
Why compare a British prime minister with a Pakistani general? The answer is that in Pakistan ultimate political power, albeit unconstitutional, is de facto vested in the head of the army, not the prime minister. Civilian politicians hold power only on licence from the military. Munir, who is in his late fifties, is essentially the most powerful man in Pakistan and is responsible for what happens next in the conflict between the two south Asian neighbours.
Many Indians fervently believe that his comments in a speech days before last month’s jihadist attack which killed 26 Indian tourists in the Kashmiri town of Pahalgam may have encouraged or inspired the terrorists. In the speech, Munir let slip the extent of his hatred of India. Shaking with anger, he said: ‘Kashmir is our jugular vein. We will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brethren in their heroic struggle against the Indian occupation… We are different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life… We are two nations not one nation… our forefathers have sacrificed immensely.
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