Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has issued a series of threats against India over the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. Speaking on August 10 at a private black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida, Munir claimed India’s decision could lead to the starvation of 250 million people in Pakistan.
He warned that Islamabad would target and destroy any dams India builds on the Indus River. Asim Munir added that Pakistan has “no shortage of missiles” and would use them if necessary.
Missile Strikes and Nuclear Warning
Asim Munir declared that Pakistan would “wait for India to build a dam” and then destroy it “with 10 missiles.” He stressed that the Indus River does not belong to India alone. In a direct nuclear warning, he said Pakistan would not hesitate to use its arsenal if pushed.
He added, “If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” The army chief emphasised that Pakistan’s missile capacity remains intact, saying in Urdu, “Humein missilon ki kami nahi hai, al-Hamdulillah.”
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Reference to Terror Attack and Surah Fil
The remarks come after India suspended the decades-old Indus Water Treaty in response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Phones and recording devices were banned during the event, but attendees later recounted Munir’s statements.
He referred to a past tweet featuring Surah Fil and industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s image, suggesting it was meant to send a warning to India. Surah Al-Fil, from the Quran, recounts how divine intervention destroyed an invading army.
Strategic Threats to Indian Infrastructure
Asim Munir vowed to start attacks “from India’s East, where they have located their most valuable resources, and then move westwards.” Using an analogy, he compared India to a “shining Mercedes” and Pakistan to a “dump truck full of gravel,” implying that a collision would harm India more severely.
Water Security as a Geopolitical Weapon
Asim Munir’s remarks show how water resources have become a potential point of dispute between nuclear-armed neighbours. By associating food security with the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is portraying the conflict as an existential one. This approach seeks to inflame nationalist feelings domestically while simultaneously increasing awareness of the water crisis globally.
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But addressing water conflicts with nuclear and missile threats runs the risk of destabilizing the area and undermining diplomatic solutions. Experts warn that portraying water as a catalyst for conflict might significantly complicate future talks.
