India has condemned what it described as “nuclear sabre-rattling” by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, warning that such rhetoric exposes Islamabad’s irresponsibility and reinforces doubts about its nuclear command and control.
Responding to remarks reportedly made by General Asim Munir during his visit to the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday said, “Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade.”
MEA’s official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.”
Jaiswal further noted, “It is also regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country.”
Reiterating India’s position, the MEA said New Delhi “will not give in to nuclear blackmail and will continue to take all necessary steps to safeguard its national security.”
General Munir, according to Pakistani media, had threatened that Pakistan would plunge the region into nuclear war and could take “almost half of the world” down if faced with an existential threat in a future conflict with India. He also warned that Islamabad would defend its water rights “at all costs” should India proceed with dam construction on the Indus River.
Also read: Munir is more of a threat to Pakistan government than to India
Speaking to the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida, Munir reportedly declared, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it.” He reiterated his claim that Kashmir was Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and rejected India’s assertion that it was an internal matter.
At a dinner in Washington, DC, hosted by Adnan Asad, Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Munir said the Indus River “is not the Indians’ family property” and claimed Pakistan had “no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river.”
He accused India of “aggression under Operation Sindoor”, calling it a grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, and warned that any misstep by India could lead to a “huge blunder.” He credited Pakistan’s response with preventing a wider conflict and thanked former US President Donald Trump for helping defuse tensions.
The Pakistani Army chief’s visit to the US included attending the change-of-command ceremony at US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, where Admiral Brad Cooper succeeded General Michael E. Kurilla. He also met US military leaders and chiefs of defence from other nations, inviting the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, to visit Pakistan.
India, for its part, has consistently rejected Pakistan’s claims over Kashmir, stating that the only link Islamabad has to the region is to vacate the territory it occupies illegally.
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