Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir also made nuclear threats, prompting a strong response from India’s ministry of external affairs. In a provocative and hostile speech laced with threats against India, Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir reportedly hinted at targeting Reliance Industries Ltd’s Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, in the event of any future military confrontation. This marks the first time a Pakistani military leader has signalled an intent to strike India’s vital oil infrastructure.
Addressing a private dinner gathering in Tampa, Florida, Asim Munir referred to a social media post featuring RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani alongside a Quranic verse, claiming he personally authorised it during a recent standoff with India “to show them what we will do next time,”.
The verse, from Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant), is interpreted by many as an allegory for an aerial strike in the context of modern warfare. Historically, it refers to the ‘Year of the Elephant’ (around 570 CE), when an invading army led by Yemen’s ruler Abraha was destroyed by divine intervention, flocks of birds dropping stones of baked clay, the report added. By naming Mukesh Ambani, Munir appeared to single out a figure who embodies India’s economic strength and global standing. In the address to the Pakistani diaspora, Munir also reportedly made a nuclear threat in case his country faced an existential threat in a future war with India.
In a strong response to Munir’s nuclear threat from US soil, the ministry of external affairs said India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail and that it will continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard national security. The MEA said Munir’s remarks reinforced the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in Pakistan, where the military is “hand-in-glove” with terrorist groups.
“Pakistan strongly rejects the immature remarks made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs earlier today…,” the Foreign Office said while responding to media queries regarding the MEA statement. The Pakistani Army chief on Sunday completed his second high-profile trip to the US in less than two months, during which he met senior US military and civilian leaders and also interacted with the Pakistani diaspora.
