Overview

• Field Marshal Asim Munir, speaking at a private, phone-free dinner in Tampa on August 10, reportedly threatened to “take half the world down” with Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and destroy any Indian dams on the Indus River with ten missiles.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs labeled the remarks “nuclear sabre-rattling” that reinforce doubts about the integrity of Pakistan’s nuclear command and control and vowed not to yield to nuclear blackmail.
• Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry rejected India’s characterization, asserting that Islamabad remains a responsible nuclear state under full civilian oversight and is opposed to the threat or use of force.
• The Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations confirmed Munir’s US engagements—including a White House luncheon and a CENTCOM change-of-command ceremony—but did not verify the specific reported language.
• US officials have not publicly rebuked Munir’s statements, intensifying debate over Washington’s decision to host Pakistan’s military leadership and its implications for South Asian stability.