Pakistan on Monday dismissed India’s accusation that its army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, engaged in “nuclear blackmail” during his recent visit to the United States, calling the claim “misleading” and “self-serving.” In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry described India’s remarks as “immature” and said they reflected a “chronic tendency to distort facts and twist statements out of context.”
The exchange follows Munir’s comments in Washington, where he warned that if Pakistan were pushed to the brink in a conflict with India, it would “take half the world down” with it. India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded sharply, labelling the statement an example of Pakistan’s “nuclear sabre-rattling” and questioning the integrity of Islamabad’s nuclear command and control, alleging the military’s links with terrorist groups.
In its rebuttal, Pakistan insisted it is a “responsible nuclear weapon state” with a fully civilian-controlled command system. It warned that “any act of Indian aggression or violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with an immediate and matching response,” adding that responsibility for any escalation would lie with Indian leadership.
Pakistan also objected to India’s reference to Munir’s remarks being made on the soil of a “friendly third country,” calling it an unnecessary attempt to involve other nations in bilateral tensions.
The war of words marks the latest flare-up in an already tense relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with both sides accusing each other of destabilising the region.
