Shias can go to Iran: Pak clerics furious over Army Chief Munir's warning
India Today
Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir said Shias who "love Iran so much" should "go to Iran". His remarks triggered a row with prominent Shia clerics of Pakistan accusing Munir of insulting the community and the military establishment of serving America and Israel as a "servant".
Pakistan Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has triggered a sectarian and political controversy after telling Shia clerics that those who "love Iran so much" should "go to Iran". The remark, made at an iftar event in Rawalpindi, has been described by Shia religious leaders as insulting and inflammatory.
Shia clerics have accused the Pakistani army of "working against Pakistan's interests at the behest of the US and Israel", and "destroying the nation by toppling governments". Shia Ulema Council Pakistan Central Vice President Allama Syed Sibtain Haider Sabzwari, asked Munir to "leave Pakistan if you love your masters, Israel and the US, so much".
Munir's warning to the Shias followed the community's protests over American and Israeli aggression on Iran, and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Earlier this month, at least 35 people were killed in Pakistan as security forces cracked down on people protesting Khamenei's killing, in Karachi, Skardu and Islamabad. Shias regard the seat of the Ayatollah as their Supreme Religious Guide (Marja-e-Taqlid), whose fatwas and guidance shape their daily religious, social, and political conduct.
It was after these protests in Pakistan that Munir warned that violence in Pakistan over events in another country would not be tolerated. The "go to Iran" remark, reported by multiple outlets, has now drawn an angry response from sections of Pakistan's Shia clergy.
According to a March 20 report in Pakistani daily Dawn, Munir told Shia clerics during an interaction in Rawalpindi that "violence over events abroad won't be tolerated". That in itself was a warning from the military leadership after Pakistan saw protests linked to developments in Iran.
A statement from the Pakistani military's mouthpiece, ISPR, said that Munir interacted with the Shia clergy, where "matters of national security and the role of ulema in societal harmony came under discussion".
Indian Railway staff's swift action turned a medical emergency involving a toddler into relief aboard a train from Bengaluru to Gujarat.
Leon Panetta said Iran war was not an unexpected risk. He pointed out that for years, US security officials have known Iran could disrupt global oil supplies by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, this was a well-known danger, but one that appears to have been overlooked in the current conflict.
Sri Lanka raised fuel prices by about 25% for the second time in a week as the Gulf conflict disrupts global oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has warned it is ready to respond. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that if Iran's infrastructure is targeted, then key facilities across the region could be "irreversibly destroyed."
Indian Railway staff's swift action turned a medical emergency involving a toddler into relief aboard a train from Bengaluru to Gujarat.
In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump said ICE personnel would assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers who have continued to work despite uncertainty over funding.
In the viral video, a bus driver named Harish is seen stopping his bus mid-route, not for a passenger, but for a group of hungry puppies waiting by the roadside.
An NRI's creative replica of the Statue of Liberty in Jalandhar sparks cultural interest and local pride.
In a city reshaped by war and displacement, survival in Beirut now rests on quiet acts of care. Each morning, strangers show up — not with answers, but with what little they can carry.
A pricing sheet inside an auto rickshaw has gone viral for being practical and running a good side hustle.
Kremlin said that Kyiv wants to keep the "questionable activities" of its citizens under wraps, after Ukraine issued a statement on the arrests of six Ukrainian citizens in India.
A version that came within minutes is now being questioned days later. As new evidence emerges from Bahrain, the gap between first claims and fresh findings is raising difficult questions.
The clip, shared by a user on X, captures a Lamborghini repeatedly doing donuts at a public junction under a flyover in Bengaluru, even as other vehicles pass by.