India Vs Pakistan Conflict: In an unprecedented escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir has issued an open “nuclear war” threat to India while speaking at a private event in Tampa, Florida, warning that if his country 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.
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.
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.
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High-Level US Meetings And Diplomatic Outreach
Pakistan Army announced that Munir is on an official tour of the United States, his second visit following the recent India-Pakistan conflict. On his visit to Tampa, he witnessed the retirement ceremony of departing US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla and the change of command ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper. He also met General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and invited him to Pakistan. In the army’s release, Munir had “high-level interactions with senior political and military leadership” and also met defence chiefs from allied countries.
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In June, Munir travelled to the US on a rare five-day trip during which he attended a private luncheon with President Donald Trump, an unprecedented gesture typically reserved for visiting heads of state or government. That meeting culminated in Trump’s announcement of enhanced US-Pakistan cooperation in various fields, including an oil deal. Munir’s visit came just over a month after the US general described Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counterterrorism efforts during a congressional hearing, where he also praised Pakistan’s role “in promoting peace and stability” in the region.