Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir Threatens Nuclear Conflict and Missile Strikes in Speech at Florida Dinner

According to a report by ThePrint, Pakistan's military leader, Field Marshal Asim Munir, issued a stark warning of potential nuclear conflict if Pakistan faces an existential threat from India in the future. He declared, "we are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us." This significant statement, made during a formal dinner in Florida, marked the first instance of such nuclear threats being issued from U.S. soil against a third country. The dinner was hosted by Adnan Asad, a businessman serving as Pakistan's honorary consul in Tampa.

During the event, attendees reported that Munir also addressed the Indus Water Treaty, suggesting that India's decision to suspend it could risk starvation for 250 million people. He warned, "we will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, we will destroy it with 10 missiles." Munir emphasized that the Indus River is not India's private property, adding, "we have no shortage of missiles, praise be to God."

The gathering's attendees were prohibited from bringing cellphones or digital devices, and no transcript of the speech was distributed. ThePrint reconstructed the speech's contents based on recollections from several participants.

Field Marshal Munir's visit to Florida was part of a retirement event for General Michael Kurilla, the outgoing commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Notably, a representative from Israel, a country with which Pakistan lacks formal diplomatic ties, was in attendance.

Previously, Munir's invitation to meet former U.S. President Donald Trump stirred unease among Pakistan's pro-democracy advocates, as no similar invitation had been extended to Pakistan's Prime Minister or President.

The dinner, attended by approximately 120 members of the Pakistani community based in Florida, took place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tampa. Guests were served a western-style meal, starting with Caesar salad, followed by tomato bisque and a choice of chicken or salmon, all prepared in accordance with Halal dietary laws.

The event commenced with a recitation from the Quran, specifically As-Saf verse 4, emphasizing unity in fighting for a cause. The verse has historical significance, as it was used to name Pakistan's operations during the Four-Day War. Following the Quranic recitation, the Pakistani national anthem was played.

Munir took the opportunity to criticize India's reluctance to disclose specific details about its losses during the Four-Day War. He remarked, "the Indians should accept their losses," and emphasized the importance of sportsmanship. Munir also proposed making an inventory of Pakistan's losses public, provided India did the same.

The Field Marshal devoted a considerable portion of his speech, reportedly read from notes, to the war and its consequences. He mentioned a tweet he initiated, featuring Surah Fil and a picture of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, as a warning for a potential future conflict. Surah Fil describes an incident where birds dropped stones on enemy elephants.

Munir further stated, "we’ll start from India’s East, where they have located their most valuable resources, and then move westwards."

Known as a religious conservative, Munir is the first Pakistan army chief to have a seminary education. He often uses theological references to support his arguments, but also employed simpler metaphors to engage his audience.

He drew a crude analogy, stating, "India is shining Mercedes coming on a highway like Ferrari [sic], but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?"

Munir seized the occasion to advocate for military involvement in Pakistan's politics and strategic decisions. He specifically addressed Babar Khan Ghauri, former ports and shipping minister under Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, stating, "they say war is too serious to be left to the Generals, but politics is also too serious to be left to the politicians."

He urged the diaspora to support Pakistan more actively, saying, "someone’s mother might be dark-skinned, and the earth of someone’s motherland might be dark, but a mother is a mother," referencing familiar Hindi-film themes.

Munir also expressed faith that Pakistan would be blessed by Allah due to its Islamic foundation, comparing it to the city-state of Medina established by the Prophet Muhammad. He inaccurately claimed that Medina was renamed Tayyiba, or blessed.

He reiterated that Pakistan, being the second state founded on Islamic principles, would be rewarded with energy and natural resources, as Medina was. Munir cited purported recent discoveries of rare earth metals, minerals, and hydrocarbons in Pakistan.

Addressing India's recent diplomatic tensions with the United States, Munir humorously suggested that Pakistan could teach lessons on managing rival powers. "The real reason for our success is that we are not misers," he stated, adding, "if someone does good work, we praise and appreciate them. That is why we nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize."