“If Kabul Can Be Bombed, Then India Was Right”: Maulana Fazlur Rehman Slams Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir

Senior Pakistani parliamentarian and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, popularly known as Maulana Diesel, has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan’s military leadership and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over Islamabad’s aggressive policy towards Afghanistan. His remarks have triggered a political storm in Pakistan by indirectly justifying India’s military action against Pakistan earlier this year.

Speaking at a public gathering in Lyari, Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman sharply criticized Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir for authorizing air strikes inside Afghanistan under the pretext of targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“You have no right to attack another country’s capital. If you bomb Kabul, then you must be ready for retaliation. This is no different from someone attacking Islamabad,” Maulana said.

‘Then India Was Also Right’

In his most explosive remark, the JUI-F chief drew a direct parallel between Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan and India’s missile attacks in Muridke and Bahawalpur during ‘Operation Sindoor’ in May 2025.

“Pakistan claims it is killing its enemies inside Afghanistan. If this logic is correct, then India was also right when it said it targeted its enemies on Pakistani soil,” he stated.

Maulana questioned how Pakistan could condemn India’s actions while adopting the same military doctrine.

“If we are following the same policy as India, then with what face do we criticize New Delhi?” he asked, cornering both the army leadership and the government.

Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions at Boiling Point

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply deteriorated in recent months. Islamabad has carried out aerial strikes inside Afghan territory, blaming Kabul-based militant groups for cross-border attacks. In response, the Taliban-led Afghan government has targeted Pakistani military posts and border installations.

Addressing this escalation, Maulana warned that Pakistan was pushing the region towards instability.

‘Pro-India Governments in Kabul’ Claim

Maulana Fazlur Rehman also made a controversial historical assertion, claiming that Afghanistan has largely had India-friendly governments.

“From King Zahir Shah to Ashraf Ghani, Kabul has mostly hosted pro-India regimes. Only the Taliban can be considered sympathetic to Pakistan,” he said.

He added that Pakistan’s fallout with the Taliban over the TTP issue led to frustration, which then turned into military aggression.

Political Fallout

Maulana’s remarks are being seen as one of the strongest public criticisms of Pakistan’s military establishment by a senior mainstream leader. His statement has embarrassed Islamabad diplomatically, as it seemingly validates India’s justification for cross-border strikes.

Political analysts believe these comments reflect deepening civil-military tensions in Pakistan and growing unease over the country’s Afghan policy.