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“We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” ThePrint quoted Munir as saying at the event in Tampa.

Munir made this nuclear threat from the US soil at a black-tie dinner he hosted for businessman Adnan Asad, who serves as Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa.

After his nuclear threat, Munir raked up the issue over the Indus Waters Treaty, and said that India’s decision to suspend the treaty could place 250 million people at risk of starvation. He warned, “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).”

“The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahi hai, al-Hamdulillah (we don’t have a missile shortage, Praise be to God),” Munir was quoted as saying by ThePrint, citing sources.

Those invited to the black-tie dinner were reportedly not allowed to carry mobile phones or any other digital devices, and no text of the speech was provided. The news outlet reported the speech from the memory of many participants present at the event.

Munir reportedly made several references to the conflict with India during his speech. “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,” he said. Surah Fil is a verse which describes how Allah sent birds to drop stones on an enemy’s battle elephants and reduced them to “chewed-up straw”.

“We’ll start from India’s East, where they have located their most valuable resources, and then move westwards,” Munir was quoted as saying by ThePrint.

Using what he termed a ‘crude analogy’, the Field Marshal further said, “India is 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?” he said.

He reportedly took note of India’s recent diplomatic tensions with the US amid the Trump tariffs row, and joked that Pakistan should start offering masterclasses on how to balance rival powers. “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,” Munir added.

Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Tampa to attend the Retirement Ceremony of the outgoing US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E. Kurilla, and the Change of Command Ceremony, marking the assumption of the role by Admiral Brad Cooper.

This was Munir’s second visit to Washington since the intense fighting with India during Operation Sindoor.

According to an official statement released by the Pakistani army, Munir engaged in high-level interactions with senior political and military leadership and members of the Pakistani diaspora during his US visit.

The Pakistani Army chief also met with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and discussed several matters of mutual professional interest. He invited Caine to visit Pakistan, the statement added.

Addressing an interactive session with the Pakistani diaspora, the Field Marshal urged them to remain confident in Islamabad’s bright future and asked them to actively contribute to attracting investments. The diaspora also reaffirmed its backing to Pakistan’s development, the army statement, as cited by news agency PTI, said.

Munir visited the US for a five-day trip in June, wherein he attended a private luncheon with President Donald Trump, a gesture which is typically reserved for visiting heads of government or state. As a result of the meeting, Trump announced enhanced US-Pakistan cooperation in several fields, including an oil deal.

(with PTI inputs)

ISLAMABAD:

Field Marshal Asim Munir has said that India is persisting in its efforts to destabilise the region, warning that any act of aggression will be met with a “forceful response.”

“India is still bent on creating instability in the region, and Pakistan has made it clear that any Indian aggression will be met with a befitting response,” said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, while addressing the Pakistani community during his visit to the US on Sunday.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is on an official visit to the United States, where he has held high-level meetings with senior political and military leaders and engaged with members of the Pakistani diaspora.

Read More: Field Marshal Asim Munir meets US defence officials

According to a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander General Michael E Kurilla and the change of command ceremony for Admiral Brad Cooper in Tampa.

While addressing Pakistanis, army chief said India seeks to project itself as a “Vishwaguru” (world leader) but in reality “there is nothing of the sort”. He cited transnational terrorism by India’s intelligence agency RAW as a matter of grave international concern, pointing to the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada, issue of eight Indian naval officers in Qatar, and the arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan as examples.

“Pakistan has fought a successful diplomatic battle against India’s discriminatory and hypocritical policies,” Field Marshal Munir said. “The recent Indian aggression, carried out under shameful pretences, was a grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and resulted in the martyrdom of innocent civilians.”

He said the incident had brought the region to “the brink of a dangerously escalating war, where any miscalculation could lead to a major conflict”. He expressed Pakistan’s gratitude to US President Donald Trump for what he described as “strategic leadership” that helped prevent not only an India-Pakistan war but also “many conflicts around the world”.

The army chief said Pakistan had given a “resolute and robust” response to India’s provocation and succeeded in preventing a wider confrontation.

COAS Munir reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was “not India’s internal matter” but an “unfinished international agenda”. Quoting Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he said Kashmir is Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and emphasised that UN Security Council resolutions on the territory remain valid.

On regional security, the army chief warned that multiple terrorist groups, including the fitna-al-khawarij, were operating from Afghanistan against Pakistan. “Pakistan is the last stronghold in the fight against terrorism,” he said. “There will be no sympathy for terrorists, and they will face justice with full force.”

Overseas Pakistanis not brain drain but brain gain

COAS Munir praised overseas Pakistanis as “a source of dignity and honour” during an address to the Pakistani community in the United States, describing them as “brain gain” rather than “brain drain.”

“It is an honour for me to address Pakistanis living in the US. Overseas Pakistanis are a source of dignity and honour, and they are as passionate as those living in the homeland,” said Munir. “Overseas Pakistanis are not a brain drain but a brain gain.”

The army chief said that his second visit to the United States within six weeks was “a sign of a new dimension” in Pakistan–US relations. “These visits aim to put relations on a constructive, sustainable and positive path,” he noted, adding that the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza was “a grave humanitarian tragedy” with serious implications at both regional and global levels.

He stressed that Pakistan’s development and prosperity were tied to its diaspora. “Overseas Pakistanis’ devotion and attachment to the homeland is an undeniable reality. In times of disaster, they are the first to respond to appeals for aid,” he said.

Anti-state elements using social media for chaos

Addressing the role of digital platforms, Field Marshal Munir said: “Social media has become a powerful medium, but anti-state elements also use it to create manufactured chaos.” Quoting the Holy Qur’an, he added: “O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with news, ascertain the truth, lest you harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of regret for what you have done.”

He emphasised the importance of understanding the younger generation. “The thinking, relationships and priorities of the new generation are different, and understanding them is the need of the hour,” he said, noting that a potential trade agreement with the United States could bring “substantial investment.”

On diplomatic front, Pakistan achieved “notable successes”

On the diplomatic front, COAS Munir said Pakistan had achieved “notable successes,” with memoranda of understanding under implementation with the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China to enhance economic cooperation and investment.

He said Pakistan’s youth — 64 per cent of its population — were brimming with potential. He also hailed recent diplomatic and security gains against India as “the result of Allah Almighty’s blessing, the collective effort of the nation, the foresight and resolve of political leadership, and the professional skill of our brave armed forces.”

“The question before us is no longer whether we will rise,” he said. “The question is how soon and with how much strength we will rise. Let us, with a new spirit and purpose, move forward while preserving the legacy of our forefathers.”