India on Sunday strongly condemned remarks reportedly made by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir during a visit to the United States, describing them as “nuclear sabre-rattling” and evidence of the “irresponsibility” of Pakistan’s military leadership. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), reacting to Munir’s statements, said the comments reinforce “well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control” in a state “where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.” “The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks,” the MEA said, adding that it was “regrettable” the threats were issued “from the soil of a friendly third country.”
Reaffirming its stance, New Delhi made it clear that it “will not give in to nuclear blackmail” and will continue to take “all steps necessary to safeguard national security.”
Statement by Official Spokesperson⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/aEi9bMFOHi pic.twitter.com/AGyyGNu8gv— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 11, 2025
What Asim Munir Said In US
In an unprecedented escalation, General Munir allegedly told members of the Pakistani expatriate community in Tampa, Florida, that if Pakistan faced an existential threat, it would “take half the world down” with it. Speaking to members of the Pakistani expatriate community at a reception organised by Adnan Asad, honorary consul for Tampa, Munir asserted, “We are a nuclear nation. If we believe we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” The Print reported the comments, said to be the first ever nuclear threats issued from American ground on a third country. The high-profile event, attended by an estimated 120 Florida-based Pakistani Americans, reportedly banned cellphones and digital devices. According to the report, a representative from the Israel Defence Forces was also present.
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Munir also turned his attention to the Indus Waters Treaty, threatening military action against India if it builds dams that can curtail water flow to Pakistan. Taking note of the New Delhi act of suspending the treaty after the April Pahalgam terror attack, he asserted such an act could endanger “250 million Pakistanis at risk of starvation.” “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir das missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles]… Humein missilon ki kami nahin hai, al-hamdulillah [we have no shortage of missiles, praise be to God],” Munir was quoted as saying.
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Munir called India out for not releasing casualty numbers from the recent four-day war between the two nations, and asked New Delhi to show “sportsman spirit” and give public details of losses. He added that Pakistan would do the same if India did. Citing a propaganda tweet during the time of conflict, he read from notes in hand, “Ek tweet karwaya tha with Surah Fil and a photo of Mukesh Ambani to show them what we will do the next time.” He said that Pakistan will “begin from India’s East, where they have placed their most precious resources, and then continue westwards.” In a rare self-comparison, Munir likened India to “a shiny Mercedes” and Pakistan to “a dump truck full of gravel,” adding, “If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” The analogy, described as “crude” by observers, underscored Pakistan’s economic and military gap with its neighbour.