Top News

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday strongly criticised Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, over his reported remarks in the United States threatening nuclear retaliation against India. Calling nuclear sabre-rattling Pakistan’s “stock-in-trade”, the MEA said such statements underscore concerns over Islamabad’s nuclear command and control being in the hands of a military “hand-in-glove with terrorist groups”.

“It is also regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country. India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail. We will continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard our national security,” the MEA stated.

Munir's Nuclear Warning and Indus Waters Remarks

According to ThePrint, Munir, while speaking at a black-tie dinner hosted by businessman Adnan Asad — Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Florida — warned, “We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” It is reportedly the first time such a threat has been issued from American soil against a third country.

Linking his comments to tensions over the Indus Waters Treaty, Munir alleged that India’s suspension of the pact could put “250 million at risk of starvation”. He declared, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with 10 missiles,” further asserting, “The Indus river is not the Indians’ family property. We have no shortage of missiles, Praise be to God.”

ThePrint reported that guests at the event were prohibited from carrying mobile phones or other digital devices.

War Jibes and Diplomatic Barbs

In his prepared speech, Munir mocked India’s handling of its losses in the recent Four-Day war, stating, “The Indians should accept their losses. Sportsman spirit is a virtue.” Referring to a tweet with Surah Fil and an image of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, he suggested it signalled future plans.

“We’ll start from India’s East, where they have located their most valuable resources, and then move westwards,” Munir said, drawing a comparison between India and a Mercedes, and Pakistan and a gravel-laden dump truck: “If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?”

He urged the Pakistani diaspora to rally behind their homeland, remarking, “Someone’s mother might be dark-skinned, and the earth of someone’s motherland might be dark, but a mother is a mother.” He also claimed Pakistan, founded on the Islamic profession of faith, would be “blessed with energy and resources by God”.

Taking a swipe at India’s diplomatic tensions with Washington, Munir quipped that Pakistan should offer “masterclasses” on balancing rival powers, adding, “The real reason for our success is that we are not misers. If someone does good work, we praise and appreciate them. That is why we nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize.”

A Pakistan Army statement, cited by PTI, confirmed Munir’s official visit to the US — his second since the four-day conflict — during which he met senior American political and military leaders, as well as members of the diaspora.