New Delhi [India]: Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Vikram Sood called Pakistan a banana republic and referred to their Army Chief as a "Jihadi General". In an interview with ANI, Vikram Sood said that the Pakistani Army comprises ideological officers who aspire to rule over others.

He said,“He (Asim Munir) is an Islamic Jihadi General. 'Hindus and Muslims cannot live together', can you imagine an Indian General speaking like this? Never. Ours are professional officers; they are ideological officers. Their ideology is to rule, and their definitions of victory and defeat are different. It is a victory for them if they did not give up our land, even though people died.”

Vikram Sood on PCB chief's Asia Cup trophy drama

When asked about the drama over the trophy at the Asia Cup 2025, reacting to the reports of Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Mohsin Naqvi taking the trophy with him, Vikram Sood called it a "banana republic reaction".

"It's hilarious... It'll never happen anywhere in the world. That's a banana republic reaction. That's what we've got as a neighbour. A banana republic with a nuclear weapon," the ex-RAW chief told ANI.

Further, addressing the human rights violations and the public movement in Balochistan, he highlighted the role of the middle class and the lower middle class. He said,“Balochistan is a long problem... Earlier, the middle class and the lower middle class played no role in the movements. Now it's become middle-class... So it is more dangerous because you've got an educated lot of people. The movement is far more serious than I remember seeing it for the last 20 years.”

"They're (Pakistan) probably looking for protection from the Americans by showcasing their rare earth minerals on a plate. You can spend 20 years trying to find rare earths, yet you may not find it, it's so rare... They will get some money out of it, and some of it will get transferred to the Cayman Islands or Geneva, Zurich, London... That is the level at which they operate normally," the ex-RAW chief said. 

Earlier, Josh Bowes, an international geopolitical researcher, highlighted concerns over the human rights violations taking place in Pakistan and the ongoing crisis in Balochistan at the 34th Meeting of the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed)

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