"If We Go Down, We’ll Take Half the World With Us": Pak Army Chief’s Nuclear Threat To India

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Sunday (Aug 10) issued a stark nuclear warning against India, and even the wider world, during his ongoing visit to the United States.

Speaking at a private black-tie dinner in Tampa hosted for businessman Adnan Asad, Munir said that if Pakistan were ever pushed to the brink in a conflict with India, it would “take half the world down” with it.

According to ThePrint, Munir declared that Pakistan is a nuclear power and would use its arsenal if necessary. He also issued a direct threat to any future Indian dams on the Indus River, warning that India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty could put hundreds of millions at risk of starvation.

“We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, 10 missiles se faarigh kar denge (we will destroy it with 10 missiles),” Munir reportedly said, adding, “Humein missilon ki kami nahi hai, al-Hamdulillah (we don’t have a missile shortage, Praise be to God).”

The dinner, where phones and recording devices were banned, saw the Pakistani army chief openly criticising India’s decision to put the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Munir claimed the move could place 250 million people at risk of starvation.

Raking up past tensions, Munir said, “Ek tweet karwaya tha with Surah Fil and a picture of (the industrialist) Mukesh Ambani to show them what we will do the next time.” Surah Al-Fil, the 105th chapter of the Quran, tells the story of the “People of the Elephant” and how Allah protected the Ka’aba in Mecca from attack.

“We’ll start from India’s East, where they have located their most valuable resources, and then move westwards,” he warned. Using a vivid analogy, Munir said, “India is a shining Mercedes coming on a highway like Ferrari, but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?”

Munir also took jibes at India’s recent trade disputes with the US, boasting about Pakistan’s “diplomatic balancing skills.” In a surprising aside, he claimed Pakistan had nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize.

“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,” he said.

During his visit to Tampa, Munir attended the change of command at US Central Command and met senior US military officials, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. This marked his second US trip since clashes with India in Operation Sindoor. His schedule also included a private lunch with Trump, where the two announced expanded cooperation, including an oil deal.

Also Read: Trump's Strategic Oil Move with Pakistan Draws Global Attention Amid New Tariffs on India