During his recent visit to the United States, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir issued aggressive remarks targeting India, warning that Pakistan would destroy any dam built by India on the Indus River. Addressing a gathering of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida, Munir stated that Pakistan would never allow India to “choke the Indus River” and would defend its water rights at all costs. His comments, quoted by Pakistani daily Dawn, sparked immediate outrage in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the statement, calling it an example of “nuclear sabre-rattling” — a tactic they said was Pakistan’s “stock-in-trade” — and urged the international community to note the “irresponsibility” of such remarks, especially from the soil of a friendly third country. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed that India will not give in to nuclear blackmail and will take all measures necessary to protect its national security.
Munir’s controversial statement comes amid mounting criticism of his leadership at home and abroad. His visit to Washington in June was marred by large-scale protests from members of the Pakistani diaspora, particularly supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Demonstrators accused him of human rights violations, chanting slogans like “Pakistanio ke qatil” and “Islamabad ke qatil,” with some calling him “Geedad” — a term implying cowardice. Videos of these protests went viral, causing embarrassment for Pakistan’s military establishment. Analysts say Munir’s growing diplomatic role in Washington and Beijing reflects the Pakistani military’s dominance over areas traditionally handled by elected leaders, deepening what they call a “military-led hybrid authoritarianism” in the country.
Critics also point to the high human cost of Munir’s tenure, with hundreds of Pakistani soldiers killed in insurgent attacks over the past two years, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have intensified assaults, exposing security gaps despite Munir’s hardline rhetoric. This is not the first time he has targeted India; in April, he referred to Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” prompting a sharp response from India, which reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and that Pakistan’s only role should be vacating territories under its illegal occupation. With his latest remarks on the Indus River, Munir has once again reignited tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, drawing both domestic backlash and international scrutiny.
