Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir sparked international concern with a statement made during a recent visit to the United States, warning that Pakistan would “take half the world down” if faced with an existential threat from India. The remarks drew a swift and stern rebuttal from India, which labelled the rhetoric “nuclear sabre-rattling” and “deeply irresponsible.”
Speaking at a black-tie dinner in Tampa hosted by businessman and Pakistan’s honorary consul Adnan Asad, Munir reportedly said, “We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the statement, saying the international community could “draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks,” adding that such comments raise serious doubts about Pakistan’s nuclear command and control in “a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.” The MEA further stated, “It is regrettable that these remarks were made from the soil of a friendly third country,” and asserted that India “will not yield to nuclear blackmail” and will take “all necessary measures” to ensure its national security.
In the same address, Munir also threatened military retaliation over the Indus Waters Treaty, alleging that India’s reported move to suspend the agreement could place 250 million people at risk of starvation. “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, 10 missiles se faarigh kar denge (we will destroy it with 10 missiles),” he warned. Underscoring Pakistan’s missile capabilities, he added, “The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahi hai, al-Hamdulillah (We don’t have a missile shortage, Praise be to God).”
The remarks come just weeks after a four-day flare-up between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and mark Munir’s second visit to the United States in two months. During his trip, he held meetings with senior American political and military officials, as well as members of the Pakistani diaspora.
