Islamabad, August 11, 2025: Despite losing face and strength in Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has once again resorted to hollow threats, reminiscent of the proverb, “An empty vessel makes the most noise.” Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has now issued provocative statements from American soil, openly threatening India with nuclear attack and vowing to destroy any dam built on the Indus River with ten missiles. This belligerent rhetoric has led some to argue that the time has come for India to silence Pakistan’s provocations with decisive force, as it shows no signs of learning from past lessons.
Asim Munir’s Threats from the US
During a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida, hosted by businessman and Pakistan’s honorary consul Adnan Asad, Field Marshal Asim Munir issued a direct nuclear threat against India. He declared, “We are a nuclear power. If we feel we are going down, we will take half the world with us.” This marks the first known instance of a Pakistani leader issuing a nuclear threat against a third country from US territory, a move that has sparked widespread concern.
Munir didn’t stop at nuclear saber-rattling. He also targeted India’s potential infrastructure projects on the Indus River, stating, “If India builds a dam on the Indus River, we will destroy it with ten missiles. The Indus is not India’s ancestral property. We have no shortage of missiles, Alhamdulillah.” He claimed that India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack endangers 250 million Pakistanis with starvation.
Context of the Threats
The remarks come in the wake of heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, where 26 innocent civilians were killed, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor. This operation targeted nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, delivering a significant blow to Pakistan’s military pride. Indian Army Chief General Dwivedi, speaking at a special event at IIT Madras, recently alluded to the possibility of an imminent conflict, stating, “The next war we envision could happen very soon.” He emphasized that Operation Sindoor was a response to the Pahalgam attack, with the Indian military given full autonomy to act decisively.
In response to Munir’s earlier remarks calling Kashmir Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the claim, stating, “How can a foreign entity be the jugular vein? Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory of India. Pakistan’s only connection is the illegal occupation of our territory, which we will reclaim.”
Pakistan’s Provocative Rhetoric
Munir’s speech in Tampa was laced with provocative analogies and religious references. He compared India to a “shining Mercedes” and Pakistan to a “dump truck full of gravel,” suggesting that in a collision, India would suffer greater losses. He also referenced a tweet posted during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, which included a verse from Surah Al-Fil and an image of Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani, implying a targeted attack on India’s economic assets. Munir further outlined a war strategy, stating, “We’ll start from India’s East, where their most valuable resources are located, and then move westward.”
The Pakistani Army Chief also mocked India for not disclosing casualty figures from the four-day conflict, saying, “The Indians should accept their losses. Sportsman spirit is a virtue.” He offered to reveal Pakistan’s losses if India reciprocated.
Strategic Implications
Munir’s threats from US soil, particularly during his second visit to the country in two months, signal a renewed confidence bolstered by warming US-Pakistan ties under the Trump administration. His earlier visit in June included a White House luncheon with President Donald Trump, during which he controversially nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. This growing alignment has raised concerns in New Delhi, especially amid strained India-US relations due to trade disputes.
Analysts suggest that Munir’s provocative statements are aimed at rallying domestic support in Pakistan and unsettling India, leveraging the current geopolitical dynamics. However, India has dismissed these threats as empty rhetoric, with some calling for a stronger response to curb Pakistan’s repeated provocations.
