New Delhi: In a scathing critique following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, former U.S. Pentagon official Michael Rubin has drawn a controversial comparison between Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, and deceased Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. The statement comes amid mounting global outrage over the killing of 26 tourists in one of the most horrific Islamist terror incidents in the region in recent years.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Rubin remarked, “The only difference between Osama Bin Laden and Asim Munir is that Bin Laden lived in a cave and Munir lives in a palace. Beyond that, the two are the same—and their ends should be the same.” He warned against attempts to portray the Pahalgam attack as spontaneous, calling it a calculated and premeditated act of terror.
Borrowing the ‘lipstick on a pig’ phase, Rubin said there should be no attempt to showcase that the attack was a kind of any “spontaneous action”.
He also suggested that the timing of the attack was deliberate, possibly aimed at diverting attention from U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India, similar to the 2000 terrorist incident that occurred during President Bill Clinton’s trip to the country.
The controversy has deepened following the resurfacing of a recent speech by General Munir, in which he reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the two-nation theory. He emphasized religious and cultural differences between Hindus and Muslims, framing them as the basis for Pakistan’s creation. “We are two nations, not one,” Munir said, urging Pakistanis to remember the sacrifices made during the country’s formation.
Reacting strongly to the Pahalgam killings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a stern message from Bihar’s Madhubani district. “From the soil of Bihar, I say this to the world—India will identify, trace, and punish every terrorist and their backers. Terrorism will not go unpunished,” he asserted.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the nation is united in grief and determination. “Every effort will be made to ensure justice is served,” he added.
Rubin’s remarks, along with PM Modi’s firm stance, have intensified international scrutiny of Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism in the region, with calls for greater accountability growing louder on the global stage.
