India has strongly criticized Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir’s reported remarks in the United States, where he allegedly threatened a nuclear strike if Pakistan faced an existential crisis in a future conflict with India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the statement as “nuclear sabre-rattling,” expressing concern over Pakistan’s nuclear command integrity, particularly in a state where the military maintains close ties with terrorist groups.

The MEA said it was regrettable that such provocative remarks were made from the soil of a friendly third country, urging the international community to take note of the irresponsibility in Munir’s comments. Reiterating its stance, India affirmed it will not give in to nuclear blackmail and will take all necessary measures to protect national security.

According to media reports, Munir told an audience in Tampa, Florida, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us.” Sources noted that Pakistan’s military has a pattern of aggressive rhetoric when enjoying US support, adding that the country’s politics are dominated by its military rather than democracy. They also speculated that Munir’s growing influence could pave the way for a potential coup.