New Delhi: India on Monday reacted sharply to reported remarks made by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a visit to the United States, calling them an example of “nuclear sabre-rattling” and warning that such statements highlight serious concerns over Islamabad’s nuclear command and control.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was “regrettable” that the comments were made “from the soil of a friendly third country” and urged the international community to note “the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks” by a military “hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.”
The statement said such remarks underscored doubts about the integrity of Pakistan’s nuclear command and control, particularly in a state where the military is “hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.” The ministry termed it “regrettable” that the comments were made from the soil of a friendly third country.
India's statement comes after Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, sparked outrage by threatening India with “nuclear war” during a speech on American soil, warning that Islamabad would “take half the world down” if faced with an existential threat.
The MEA reiterated India’s position that it will not yield to nuclear blackmail and will take “all necessary steps” to safeguard national security.
"Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the United States. Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade"
Munir, speaking at a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida, hosted by businessman and honorary consul Adnan Asad, reportedly declared: “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” According to reports, this marks the first time nuclear threats have been issued from US soil against a third country.
The Pakistani army chief also threatened to destroy any Indian infrastructure on Indus River channels, warning that such projects could cut Pakistan’s water supply. Referring to New Delhi’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, he claimed the move could put 250 million Pakistanis at the risk of starvation.
“We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey (we will destroy it with 10 missiles)… The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahin hai, al-hamdulillah (we have no shortage of missiles, praise be to God),” he was quoted as saying.
Munir is in Tampa to attend the US Central Command (CENTCOM) change of command ceremony, his second trip to Washington in less than two months.
His previous visit to US was on on June 18 which included a White House luncheon with President Trump, where he proposed the US leader for a Nobel Peace Prize a suggestion he repeated in Florida.
The Tampa event was attended by around 120 members of the Pakistani diaspora under tight restrictions.
Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, in which 26 civilians were killed, tensions between India and Pakistan swiftly escalated into a serious military crisis.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025 carrying out missile and air strikes across nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.The four-day conflict between nuclear -armed rivals witnessed military engagements including drone warfare, artillery exchanges, and retaliatory attacks.
