Pakistan "Playing With Fire" on Nuclear Threat, Says Former Indian Official
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A threat by the army chief of nuclear-armed Pakistan to "take half the world down" if the country faces a threat to its existence is reckless and dangerous, India's former deputy national security advisor told Newsweek.
"I think it's one man's decision to engage in saber-rattling. And frankly, he doesn't sound like a victorious general — he sounds more like someone who is playing with fire and has some personal grievance or deep-seated problem with India," Pankaj Saran said in an interview.
Why It Matters
The comments show the heightened tension between India and Pakistan after their most intense clash in decades in May following a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir which India blamed on Pakistan despite its denials.
What To Know
Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke on Sunday at a gathering of the Pakistani community in Tampa, Florida, according to Pakistani news portal ARY News. He was quoted as saying "We are a nuclear nation; if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us," according to Indian ThePrint news site.
Munir also threatened to destroy any dam India builds on the Indus River, on which India suspended a water-sharing treaty after the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Kashmir.
Army jawans stand guard and security forces patrol near the encounter site in Lidwas Meadows of Dara, Srinagar district, India, on July 28, 2025.
Army jawans stand guard and security forces patrol near the encounter site in Lidwas Meadows of Dara, Srinagar district, India, on July 28, 2025.
Photo by BASIT ZARGAR/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
"Obviously, he feels emboldened enough to make these statements sitting in the United States... in a friendly country like the U.S. So how much license he thinks he can get, or is getting from the Americans, and how much tacit support there is, is a question mark that is being asked in India," Saran said.
"This is unnecessary, unprovoked, and uncalled for. There is no real logical reason for all of this to be happening. It's important for the Americans to see through what he's doing, because if we continue down this path, it is not going to help American interests in the region or Indian interests," he said.
India's Ministry of External Affairs described the comments as "nuclear blackmail."
Pakistan's army and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saran's remarks.
The Pakistani army chief's comments in the United States come at a moment of strain between Washington and New Delhi.
On August 6, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff on Indian imports over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. This follows Trump's repeated claims that he personally brokered the May 2025 India–Pakistan ceasefire. India says it was a bilateral decision.
What Happens Next
The fact that Munir made the remarks in the United States, where he has been received twice in two months, is likely to further deepen the annoyance with Washington in India, the world's most populous nation.
India is already strengthening its ties with China, long seen as a shared adversary with the United States, as well as with Russia.
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