Pakistan Army Spokesperson Invokes Quranic Verse Over Afghan Minister’s India Remarks

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, ISPR, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 | Jihad Watch

Pakistan Army’s chief military spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has sparked controversy after invoking a Quranic verse while responding to comments by an Afghan Taliban minister who said India and Afghanistan “share the same DNA” due to their deep historical and cultural connections.

During an official press conference in Rawalpindi, Chaudhry questioned the Afghan minister’s remarks and referred to a Quranic verse that, according to his interpretation, advises Muslims against taking non-believers as friends or protectors. A video clip of the exchange subsequently circulated widely on social media, drawing attention to his remarks.

The comments came during a wider briefing in which Chaudhry discussed Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations, the security situation in Balochistan, relations with Afghanistan and Islamabad’s longstanding allegations that India supports militant activities inside Pakistan. India has repeatedly rejected these allegations.

Addressing the Afghan minister’s comments about India-Afghanistan ties, Chaudhry questioned how claims of close ties with India and Hindus could be reconciled with what he described as Islamic principles. His remarks appeared to frame the issue not merely as a matter of diplomatic relations but also as one involving religious identity.

Chaudhry also attempted to draw a distinction between the Afghan population and the Taliban administration, arguing that ordinary Afghans should not be equated with the ruling regime. He claimed that Afghan civilians, particularly women and children, continue to suffer under Taliban rule.

Criticising the Taliban’s policies, the Pakistani military spokesperson also questioned its treatment of women and children and its religious decrees concerning violence against Muslims. He argued that such actions were incompatible with the principles of Islam.

Chaudhry subsequently returned to the Quranic reference, stating that Muslims should not take kaafirs as friends or protectors. By invoking the religious text in response to the Afghan minister’s comments on India-Afghanistan cultural ties, he expanded the discussion beyond the original “same DNA” remark and placed it within a broader debate over religion, diplomacy and regional relations.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)