India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong official condemnation of recent remarks allegedly made by Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir, during a visit to the United States in August 2025. Speaking at an event in Tampa, Florida, Munir reportedly made explicit threats about Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities and targeted Indian infrastructure projects.

He warned, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with ten missiles,” and went further to state, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” threatening catastrophic nuclear escalation in response to perceived Indian aggression.

India's Strong Rebuke

The MEA swiftly condemned Munir’s statements, labelling them an instance of “nuclear sabre-rattling,” which it said has become Pakistan’s “stock-in-trade.” India described Pakistan as “an irresponsible state with nuclear weapons” and expressed regret that such alarming rhetoric was issued from the territory of a “friendly third country,” implicitly referring to the United States.

Official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s position: “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.” The ministry also called attention to long-standing international concerns over Pakistan’s nuclear command and control systems, emphasizing the danger of the Pakistani military’s close involvement with terrorist groups. The MEA statement asserted, “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 pointed out that these comments reinforce doubts about the security and integrity of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, especially given the military’s dominance within the state and persistent allegations of cooperation with non-state militant actors. The timing and venue of Munir’s remarks—an address to the Pakistani diaspora in Tampa—also drew criticism from Indian officials, who thought it deeply regrettable that such threats were voiced from a location within the United States.

India further highlighted that Pakistan’s democratic deficit and military control have perpetuated a pattern of provocative behaviour. In the eyes of New Delhi, the Pakistani military consistently leverages threats of nuclear escalation to pressure India and the international community, particularly when Pakistan seeks support from Western countries such as the US.

Pakistan’s Response

Pakistan, for its part, denied the substance of the Indian allegations. The Pakistani foreign office and defence ministry characterized Indian claims of “sabre-rattling” as misrepresentations, suggesting that the Indian government was twisting Munir’s statements for domestic political gain. Pakistani officials reiterated that their country is a responsible nuclear-armed state with robust command and control systems under civilian oversight. Nevertheless, portions of Munir’s speech released by Pakistani officials reportedly omitted the specific nuclear threats, leading to competing media narratives about what was actually said.

Conclusion

India’s forceful response to Asim Munir’s remarks reflects deep-seated mistrust and ongoing strategic rivalry between South Asia’s two nuclear-armed neighbours. By framing Pakistan’s rhetoric as reckless and dangerous, India aims to signal resilience against nuclear blackmail and reassure both its domestic audience and the international community of its commitment to national security. The episode highlights enduring regional instability, persistent doubts about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, and the risks associated with nuclear threats in international diplomacy.

Agencies