No individual or group can declare jihad, says DG ISPR

• National unity maintained through equality: DG ISPR.
• Says India is backing terrorism in Pakistan.
• "If we remain united, no force can defeat us."

ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Public Relations Director General (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that only the state can declare jihad, stressing that "no individual or group has this authority".

Lt Gen Chaudhry said this while interacting with members of various religious and social circles during an event in Karachi on Sunday. The statement has come over a month following a days-long military engagement between Pakistan and India. Since the military conflict, officers of Pakistan's armed forces have held a spree of meetings with people belonging to different walks of life.

During the meeting, the members of religious and social circles welcomed the military's top spokesperson and expressed strong solidarity with the armed forces. They described the meeting with the ISPR chief as valuable and wished to hold more such sessions in the future.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said that followers of all religions are equal citizens who enjoy full constitutional rights in Pakistan. "National unity is maintained only through equality and harmony."

Furthermore, ethnic or linguistic hatred emerges through ignorance, he said, adding that "all Pakistanis are equal". "If we remain united, no force can defeat us."

To a query, the top army's spox said that India is backing terrorism in Pakistan, and the Pakistan Army is responding to the enemy with modern warfare strategies.

The 87-hour-long conflict last month — which included cross-border strikes by both countries — was the largest battle between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in decades. It had left 40 civilians and 13 armed forces personnel martyred in Pakistan.

Pakistan had launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos after downing six Indian Air Force jets, including three Rafales in response to Indian aggression.

After days of cross-border strikes, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.