'Physical suicide...': Former general slams Pak army chief's nuclear threat against India from US soil

Retired Major General PK Sehgal has sharply rebuffed Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s reported threats against India, calling them bluster with catastrophic consequences if acted upon. “Asim Munir knows that a nuclear weapon is a weapon of deterrence and will in no way be used,” Sehgal said, warning that any nuclear strike by Pakistan — accidental or deliberate — would invite annihilation.

“If Pakistan, even by mistake, uses nuclear weapons, it will be a catastrophe for all continents, but for Pakistan, it will be physical suicide. Pakistan’s very existence will be wiped out,” he said.

According to a report in The Print, Munir made the remarks during his ongoing visit to the United States at a black-tie dinner in Tampa hosted by Pakistan’s honorary consul, Adnan Asad. The comments are being described as the first known instance of a Pakistani military chief delivering explicit nuclear threats from US soil against a third country.

In his speech, Munir reportedly warned that Pakistan would be willing to unleash nuclear war in the event of an existential conflict with India. “We are a nuclear nation; if we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” he was quoted as saying.

The report further claims Munir issued threats over the Indus Waters Treaty, alleging that India’s suspension of the pact could trigger mass starvation in Pakistan. “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles],” he warned, adding that Pakistan had “no shortage of missiles, al-Hamdulillah [Praise be to God].”

Munir also mocked India’s handling of recent military engagements, taunted industrialist Mukesh Ambani in a veiled threat, and employed a collision metaphor to suggest Pakistan could damage India despite economic disparities. “India is a shining Mercedes… but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” he told the diaspora audience.

The Pakistani military has not officially commented on the report. India has yet to issue a formal response.