The India-Pakistan diplomatic tensions escalated on Monday after the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong response to Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s provocative remarks made in the United States. Speaking in Florida, Munir warned that if Pakistan were destroyed, it would take “half the world” with it — a comment India has described as both reckless and deeply concerning.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the statement on social media, asserting that India will not bow to Pakistan’s nuclear threats. The ministry condemned the fact that such remarks were delivered from the soil of a “friendly third country,” calling it unfortunate and irresponsible.
The statement emphasized that Pakistan has a long history of using nuclear rhetoric as a political tool, and such words reinforce global concerns about the safety of its nuclear arsenal, especially in a country where the military has been accused of working alongside terrorist groups. The MEA also made it clear that India will take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its national security.
General Munir was in the US for the second time in two months since the Operation Sindoor conflict between India and Pakistan. While attending a dinner hosted by industrialist Adnan Asad in Tampa, Florida, he declared, “We are a nuclear power. If we feel we are heading toward destruction, we will take half the world down with us.” Analysts note that it is rare for a military leader to issue such a nuclear threat to a third country while on American soil.
Munir also touched upon the Indus Waters Treaty dispute, criticizing India’s decision to suspend the agreement after the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir — an incident New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. The treaty governs the water sharing of the Indus and its tributaries, with three major rivers flowing through Pakistan. Munir threatened that if India built dams, Pakistan would “fire 10 missiles to destroy them,” claiming that the Indus River is not India’s “ancestral property.”
The Pakistan Army Chief’s remarks come amid growing economic ties between Pakistan and the United States, including a recent oil trade deal. Washington’s relationship with Islamabad has seen a boost even as it imposes trade tariffs on both India and Pakistan — 50% on Indian imports due to Russian oil purchases, and 19% on Pakistan.
By addressing both Washington and Islamabad in its statement, India made it clear that any attempt to intimidate it with nuclear rhetoric will be met with firm resistance. The MEA’s message reflects a long-standing policy of deterrence and strategic preparedness in the face of security threats from Pakistan.
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