By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday sharply rebuked India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for what it called a “chronic tendency” to distort and twist remarks made by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir during a recent visit to the United States.
The Foreign Office (FO) issued a strongly worded statement in response to comments from India’s MEA, which had accused Pakistan of “nuclear sabre-rattling” following Munir’s reported remarks at a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida, hosted by Pakistan’s honorary consul Adnan Asad. The event, attended by around 150 guests including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Ambassador Rizwan Shaikh, and prominent members of the Pakistani diaspora, was part of Munir’s second high-profile US visit in less than two months.
India’s MEA had earlier claimed that Munir’s alleged comments, which it said were made “from the soil of a friendly third country,” reflected “irresponsibility” and reinforced doubts about Pakistan’s nuclear command and control, accusing the military of being “hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.”
Pakistan’s FO dismissed the Indian allegations as “immature” and “misleading,” accusing New Delhi of peddling a “self-serving” narrative. “Pakistan strongly rejects the immature remarks made by the Indian MEA earlier today, which is yet another demonstration of their chronic tendency to distorting facts and twisting statements out of context,” the FO said in a statement. “The Indian narrative of an alleged ‘nuclear blackmail’ is a misleading and self-serving construct. Pakistan remains firmly opposed to the use or threat of use of force. India’s sabre-rattling and warmongering whenever confronted, invite unfounded allegations bereft of rationality.”
The FO underscored Pakistan’s status as a “responsible nuclear-weapon state” with an “elaborate command and control structure under full civilian control,” asserting that the country had consistently exercised “discipline and restraint” on such matters. It also defended Pakistan’s counterterrorism record, calling its security forces a “bulwark against terrorism” and dismissing India’s claims as “irresponsible and without a shred of evidence.”
The statement took particular issue with India’s reference to “third countries,” describing it as a “futile attempt to unnecessarily involve other countries” and a reflection of India’s “lack of diplomatic confidence.”
Tensions between the two South Asian rivals have been simmering since a brief but intense military escalation in May, triggered by India’s unproven claim that Pakistan was behind an April 22 attack in Pahalgam, occupied Kashmir. India responded with air strikes on May 6-7, which killed civilians, prompting Pakistan’s air force to down six Indian jets. After retaliatory strikes on each other’s airbases, a US-brokered ceasefire was reached on May 10, with President Donald Trump claiming credit for the de-escalation, a claim India has disputed.
Trump’s growing ties with Islamabad, including hosting Munir at the White House in the weeks following the conflict, have irked New Delhi. India has also bristled at Trump’s recent imposition of a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, set to take effect in three weeks, citing New Delhi’s continued energy imports from Russia. The move, which will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50 percent, has deepened strains after trade talks stalled.
India’s frustration is compounded by Trump’s public dismissal of its economy as “dead in the water,” a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which had previously courted Trump’s support through public displays of goodwill, including prayers and a temple dedicated to his image. New Delhi is now grappling with how to respond, with officials citing consultations with “stakeholders” as they navigate the fallout.
Pakistan, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to acting as a “responsible member of the global community” but issued a stern warning. “Any act of Indian aggression or violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with an immediate and matching response. The onus of any ensuing escalation will rest squarely with the Indian leadership.”
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