Key Points:
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, issued a nuclear threat against India during a black-tie dinner in Tampa.
Munir warned Pakistan would destroy any Indian dam on the Indus River with 10 missiles
He used Quranic references and "crude analogy" to describe Pakistan’s stance against India.
Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, declared Pakistan would use nuclear weapons if India threatens its existence. He spoke at a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida on August 10, 2025, hosted by Adnan Asad, Pakistan’s honorary consul, to honour retiring General Michael Kurilla, former United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander.
Asim Munir said, "We are a nuclear nation. if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us." This marks the first nuclear threat against a third country from U.S. soil.
He criticized India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack. Munir claimed this endangers 250 million people with starvation. He warned, "We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey (we will destroy it with 10 missiles).
Munir said, "The Indus river is not the Indians’ family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahin hai, al-Hamdulillah (we have no shortage of missiles, Praise be to God)."
Munir urged India to accept its losses, saying, "Sportsman spirit is a virtue." He added Pakistan would publicize losses if India does the same. Referencing Surah Fil from the Quran, he said, "We tweeted Surah Fil with Mukesh Ambani’s picture to show our next move." Surah Fil describes Allah sending birds to attack enemy elephants.
As the first Pakistan army chief with seminary education, Munir often uses theological references. Munir used a metaphor: “India is a shining Mercedes speeding like a Ferrari, but we’re a gravel-filled dump truck. If we collide, who loses?”
He defended military involvement in politics, addressing former ports and shipping minister Babar Khan Ghauri, who served under Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. “War is too serious for generals alone, but politics is too serious for politicians,” he said.
Munir noted India’s recent diplomatic tensions with the U.S. amid the Trump tariffs row. He joked Pakistan should offer masterclasses on balancing rival powers. “The real reason for our success is that we are not misers. If someone does good work, we praise and appreciate them. That is why we nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize,” Munir stated.
This was Munir’s second U.S. visit in two months, following a June 18, 2025, White House luncheon with President Trump. He nominated Trump for a Nobel Prize for peace efforts and repeated the nomination in Tampa. Munir told the Pakistani diaspora that 64 percent of Pakistan’s population is young and will shape its future. Munir met General John Dan Caine, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss mutual interests and invited him to Pakistan. Admiral Brad Cooper assumed CENTCOM command during the visit.
The Pahalgam attack led India to downgrade ties with Pakistan, expel military attachés, and suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. India’s Operation Sindoor targeted Pakistani air bases for four days. Pakistan sent letters requesting treaty review.
The visit follows increased U.S.-Pakistan cooperation, including a June oil deal. Munir’s comments on rival powers included his Nobel Prize nomination for Trump. [Rh/Eth/VS]
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