Opinion Asim Munir’s anti-India statement: He is is only as big a problem as Delhi let’s him be

Issuing nuclear threats seems to be an easy way to grab global headlines. A former Russian president did it twice in recent weeks. Joining him now is Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, the newly promoted Field Marshal, Asim Munir. Addressing the Pakistani diaspora in the United States, on his second visit in under two months, he reportedly declared: “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” Incidentally, Munir’s remark came on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki during the World War II — the last time nuclear weapons were used in warfare. For now, though, for all his undisguised bombast, Munir appears to be enjoying a moment in the sun, having lunch with the US President, theatrically threatening India. New Delhi’s official reaction to what it has described as his “nuclear sabre-rattling” was to reaffirm its refusal to yield to nuclear blackmail and assert that India would take all measures necessary to safeguard national security. Yet, given the clearly staged nature of Munir’s provocations — he also repeated the “jugular vein” remark on Kashmir that he had made ahead of the Pahalgam attack — delivered on the soil of a nation friendly to India despite the recent trade-related turbulence, New Delhi would do well to not take them too seriously.

Munir’s tirade does offer a window to understanding the Pakistani military’s inclination towards economic warfare. He reportedly vowed to target Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, the largest single-site refining complex in the world, in the event of a future conflict. He invoked the Indus Waters Treaty, which New Delhi placed in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack, threatening missile strikes should India proceed with dam construction. Far from projecting strength, these remarks present a sorry picture of a Field Marshal straining to cast Pakistan as a viable rival to India. The reality is different: India’s GDP is roughly 10 times Pakistan’s, and the gap is widening, not just economically but also in terms of the two countries’ global standing. Munir’s own analogy likening India to a Mercedes and Pakistan to a dump truck is telling of the military establishment’s mindset: That, in a conflict, India has far more to lose. Yet, much like three decades ago, when Rawalpindi invested significant time and effort in nefarious cross-border activities aimed at destabilisation, India should continue to press ahead with diplomatic partnerships, accelerate economic reforms, strengthen technological capabilities, and foster internal unity.

Advertisement

Ultimately, Field Marshal Asim Munir can only become as big for India as India allows him to be. Pakistan is far more than the folie de grandeur of one man bent on forcing India-Pakistan hyphenation on the international stage — unsuccessfully. India must keep its eye on the big picture, and focus on partnerships with nations pivotal to its rise as an economic power.