Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir issues nuke threat from US soil

Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has reportedly made a nuclear threat while on American soil, threatening to take “half the world down” if Pakistan faces an existential threat in a future war with India.

“We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” Munir said at a dinner hosted in Florida for him by businessman Adnan Asad, who is Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Florida, according to a report by The Print.

This is the first time that nuclear threats have been issued from the soil of the United States against a third country.

‘Will destroy India’s dam with 10 missiles’

Munir is said to have then made a statement about the Indus Waters Treaty, and said India’s decision to keep the treaty in abeyance could put 250 million people at the risk of starvation.

“We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with 10 missiles,” Munir told the 120 Florida-based members of the Pakistani diaspora at the dinner.

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He went on to say that the Indus River is “not the Indians’ family property”.

“We have no shortage of missiles, Praise be to God,” he said.

According to sources, the function began with a recitation of a verse from the Quran that says, “Allah loves those who fight in his cause in a row as though they are a structure joined firmly”.

‘Crude analogy’

Field Marshal Munir spoke at length about the recent conflict between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, and about what would happen in future conflicts.

“I am going to use a crude analogy to explain the situation. India is a shining Mercedes coming on a highway, but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” he said.

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He quoted a verse Surah Fil and used a picture of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani “to show them what we will do the next time”.

The verse describes how Allah dispatched birds to drop stones on an enemy’s battle elephants, reducing them to chewed-up straw.

“We’ll start from India’s East, where they have located their most valuable resources, and then move westwards,” said Munir.

‘Sportsman’s spirit’

He mocked India’s refusal to share specific details about its losses during the Four-Day War.

“The Indians should accept their losses. Sportsman’s spirit is a virtue,” said the army chief.

He said he had offered to make public an inventory of Pakistan’s losses, as long as India did the same.

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Offers to ‘coach’ India

Pakistan’s army chief referred to India’s recent diplomatic tensions with the US, and joked that Pakistan should offer masterclasses on balancing rival powers.

He said the real reason for Pakistan’s “success” is that they are not misers.

He said if someone does good work, they praise and appreciate them, and that’s the reason why they nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize.

Military involvement in politics

Munir told the gathering that it was important for military involvement in Pakistani politics and strategic decision-making.

“They say war is too serious to be left to the Generals, but politics is also too serious to be left to the politicians,” he said.

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He said Allah would bless Pakistan with his bounty because it is one of only two states founded on the basis of the Kalimah, the Islamic profession of faith. He said God would reward Pakistan with energy and natural resources, and described purported discovery of rare earth metals, hydrocarbons, and minerals in the country.