Reports of 4,500 soldiers and 250 Pakistani soldiers resigning due to fears of an impending war with India have surfaced. These claims primarily follow the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on the 22nd of April which killed 26 civilians in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley. The resignations seem to be driven by plummeting morale and fears of a large-scale Indian retaliation. An alleged memo from Lt. Gen. Omer Ahmed Bokhari to Army Chief General Asim Munir warns of a potential “collapse” in military cohesion.
What followed were social media posts on X citing 1,200 soldiers and 250 officers resigning, although there remain many discrepancies in numbers. These reports lack corroboration from credible sources. In the meantime, confusion remains due to the origin of the memo being dubious. Pakistan’s military has not officially acknowledged mass resignations, and a photo of General Munir with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on April 26 was posted to counter speculation about leadership instability. No official statement from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) or credible international sources confirms resignations of such scale.
The Pakistani Army has faced internal challenges before, but desertions of this level is not only unlikely but also unprecedented and unverified. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned of a potential “all-out war” if India attacks. Both India and Pakistan have exchanged small-arms fire along the Line of Control for four consecutive nights after Pakistan Suspended the Shimla Agreement. The memo has since been debunked by many as likely being a fake corroborated by errors like the usage of incorrect phrases like ‘Pakistan Jinabad’ (instead of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’) and misidentification of the DG ISPR.
