Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir threatened nuclear action against India during a speech to the Pakistani diaspora in Florida.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly condemned Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s latest nuclear threats against India, made during an event in the United States. Asim Munir reportedly told members of the Pakistani diaspora in Florida that Pakistan could use nuclear weapons to take down India and “half the world” if it faced an existential threat.
Shashi Tharoor revealed that the Standing Committee on External Affairs discussed the matter and raised concerns about the misuse of a friendly country’s soil for such hostile remarks. He said the committee echoed the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) statement dismissing the nuclear sabre-rattling and reaffirming that “nuclear blackmail will not work with India.”
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Asim Munir, addressing the diaspora in Tampa, reportedly said, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” He also warned that Pakistan would destroy any Indian dam on the Indus River with “10 missiles,” in response to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam terror attack.
He asserted, “The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. We don’t have a missile shortage, Praise be to God.”
The MEA strongly condemned Munir’s comments, calling them “regrettable” and warning that they raise doubts about Pakistan’s nuclear command and control, particularly in a state “where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.”
The ministry also criticised the use of US soil for such threats, urging the global community to condemn the irresponsibility of the remarks.
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Later, after attending a dinner hosted by Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge for the INDIA bloc leaders, Tharoor said Munir often makes such statements before the diaspora to boost his standing at home. 'India knows how to handle these things in the air and on the ground. We are not going to surrender to nuclear blackmail,' he stressed.
This episode also highlights a troubling diplomatic undercurrent. If Pakistan keeps making similar threats to the US, it could end up with strained relations with Washington, which has always been wary of Islamabad's nuclear attitude.
It emphasizes to India the necessity of keeping partners and allies aware of the risks associated with allowing such discourse to exist on their territory.
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