'Pakistani leaders have always indulged in bluff and bluster': Ex-Indian Army chief on Asim Munir's nuclear threat against India

Former Army Chief Gen. V.P. Malik on Wednesday had a suggestion for New Delhi as India-US ties strain over Washington’s pandering to Pakistan, days after Pak Army Chief Asim Munir threatened nuclear war in an existential conflict with India.

He said that leaders in Pakistan, especially some Army Chiefs, have a habit of indulging in bluff and bluster. General Malik, who led India to victory during the 1999 Kargil war, further mentioned what India could do in such a situation. 

"Pakistani leaders, particularly some Army Chiefs, have always indulged in bluff and bluster. I believe the right response is to remain alert, respond on the ground when necessary, and to continue building our comprehensive national power. No need to join their daily theatrics," the retired Army General wrote in his post. 

He was replying to a post by geostrategist Brahma Chellaney, who asked how tenable India's no-first-use nuclear policy is given the Pakistan Army chief's brazen threat from the US. 

In his post, Chellaney further said: "Yet under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), upstream India is fully entitled to build run-of-river hydropower projects. So why the silence from New Delhi? Instead of invoking its legal right under international law to suspend or withdraw from the IWT, India in April chose a half-measure — a political gesture dressed up as action — by declaring the treaty “in abeyance,” a term with no standing in international law."

What exactly did Asim Munir say? 

Pakistan's military chief Field Marshal Asim Munir threatened India of nuclear retaliation from US soil. Speaking at a dinner in Tampa, Munir declared, "We are a nuclear nation, if we think we are going down, we'll take half the world down with us."

Munir's remarks highlight Pakistan's aggressive stance amid diplomatic strains with India following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor, emphasising the nation's ability to "balance rival powers."

He also vowed to fire 10 missiles at any new dam on the Indus river system. Furthermore, he warned of targeting India's economic assets, specifically naming Mukesh Ambani's Jamnagar refinery.

Amid these declarations, Munir said: "Kisi ki maa kaali ho sakti hai, aur kisi ki dharti-maa kaali ho sakti hai, par maa maa hoti hai," reinforcing loyalty to the motherland despite its challenges.

In a metaphorical comparison, Munir described India as a "shining Mercedes" and Pakistan as a "dump truck full of gravel," stating, "If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?"