Munir's Comments Showed Pakistan is Irresponsible State With Nuclear Weapons: Govt Sources

New Delhi: India on Monday attacked the nuclear threats by Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir from American soil on Sunday and declared it would never give in to “nuclear blackmail” by Islamabad. New Delhi also said that it was “regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country” and pointed to the global danger emanating from the Pakistani nuclear arsenal, adding that India would take all steps to safeguard its national security.

In a statement, the MEA said: “Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the United States. Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade. The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups. India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail. We will continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard our national security.”

Indian government sources said Asim Munir’s comments show that Pakistan is an “irresponsible” state with nuclear weapons and that there was a real danger of these weapons falling into the hands of non-state actors. Sources also said his comments are part of the pattern in Pakistan that the Pakistan military shows its true colours of aggression whenever the US supports it. Sources said the Pakistani military feels “emboldened by the reception and welcome by the US” that Asim Munir has got in the past few months.

The Pakistan Army chief was in Tampa, Florida, to attend the US Central Command change of command ceremony, where Adm. Brad Cooper took over from Gen. Michael E Kurilla. During his speech at a special dinner hosted by businessman Adnan Asad, who is the Pakistani honorary consul at Tampa, Asim Munir had reportedly said: “We will wait for India to build a dam (for the Indus waters), and when they do so, we will destroy it with 10 missiles.” Field Marshal Munir also boasted that if his country ever faced an existential crisis, it would take “half the world down” with it since it was a nuclear power. He also stated the Indus waters were not the “family property” of India and that Kashmir was the “jugular vein” of Pakistan and an unresolved international issue.

In bizarre remarks, Asim Munir was further quoted as saying: "I am going to use a crude analogy to explain the situation… India is shining Mercedes coming on a highway like Ferrari [sic], but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” He added: “A bilateral conflict due to any mistake by India would be a huge blunder.” He also claimed that Pakistan had responded "resolutely and forcefully" during the recent conflict with India and Islamabad made it clear that any Indian aggression will be met with a “befitting reply”.

The Pakistan Army chief said his second visit to the US after a gap of one and a half months marks a new dimension in US-Pakistan relations. He added these visits aim to take relations on a constructive, sustainable and positive path. According to reports, he also said that Pakistan was extremely grateful to US President Donald Trump, whose strategic leadership stopped the war between India and Pakistan as well as prevented many other wars around the world. During the address, Asim Munir added that a trade agreement with the US is expected to attract huge investments, and Pakistan has achieved significant successes on the international relations front.

It may be recalled that in June, Asim Munir had travelled to the US on a rare five-day trip, during which he attended a private luncheon with President Donald Trump, an unprecedented gesture typically reserved for visiting heads of state or government. That meeting culminated in Mr Trump's announcement of enhanced US-Pakistan cooperation in various fields, including an oil deal. During his current visit, he also met the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, “where matters of mutual professional interest were discussed”. He also extended an invitation to Gen. Caine to visit Pakistan.