In a speech delivered from the United States, Pakistan Army Chief and newly appointed Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir issued a string of provocations targeting India, setting off swift condemnation from the Indian government.
- Speaking at a private event in Tampa, Florida, Munir warned: “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.
- He accused India of trying to build dams on the Indus River, stating: “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does, 10 missiles se faarigh kar denge”—threatening to “destroy it with 10 missiles.”
- Reiterating a longstanding stance: Kashmir is Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and remains “not an internal matter of India but an unresolved international issue.”The Economic Times
India’s Unambiguous Retort
4. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) promptly responded, condemning Munir’s remarks as “nuclear sabre-rattling” and branding Pakistan an “irresponsible state with nuclear weapons.” The MEA expressed regret that such threats were made from the soil of a friendly country and reaffirmed:
5. “India will not give in to nuclear blackmail.”
6. MEA officials also flagged “deeply troubling questions” about the integrity of Pakistan’s nuclear command structure, particularly given the military’s ties with extremist elements.The Economic TimesThe Indian Express
A Calculated Display of Power
7. Experts suggest Munir’s choice of venue underscored a strategic messaging play—timed with his elevation to Field Marshal and his ongoing outreach to the U.S.—to consolidate internal power and challenge India’s global standing.Financial TimesIndia TodayAl Jazeera
A Regional Flashpoint
8. Munir’s remarks come amid lingering tensions following the 2025 Indo-Pak conflict (Operation Sindoor), and the leveled rhetoric, now emanating from U.S. soil, has intensified fears of escalated confrontation.
9. His speech signals both resilient internal posturing and a widening gulf in diplomatic relations with India.
10. By issuing these threats from American soil—amid an ongoing warming of U.S.–Pakistan relations—Munir seems to be leveraging international optics to position himself ahead of both domestic hardliners and global adversaries.
