NEW DELHI: In an escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has warned that Pakistan’s expanding military capabilities could “shatter the misconceived immunity of India’s geographical warspace.”
His statement, delivered during a high-profile address at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, signifies yet another round of nuclear sabre-rattling by Islamabad. This time, it comes against the backdrop of ongoing Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan civilians near the border.
Munir, addressing graduating cadets, asserted that while there is “no space for war in a nuclearised environment,” even a “minor provocation” from India would invite a “decisive, beyond proportions” response from Pakistan.
“Should a fresh wave of hostilities be triggered, Pakistan would respond much beyond the expectations of the initiators,” he said. “With diminishing distinction between combat and communication zones, the reach and lethality of our weapon systems will shatter the misconceived immunity of India’s geographic vastness.”
Munir went on to warn of “deeply hurting retributive military and economic losses” and said the responsibility for any future escalation, potentially with “catastrophic consequences for the region and beyond” would rest solely with India.
Munir also accused India of using terrorism as a tool to destabilise Pakistan. Without naming the TTP, he warned that all "proxies" operating from Afghan soil would be “raised to dust.”
Munir’s highly provocative remarks come at a time when Pakistan itself faces scrutiny for launching airstrikes across the Durand Line in Afghanistan. According to multiple reports, these strikes have caused civilian casualties, including the deaths of Afghan cricketers Sibghatullah, Haroon, and Kabeer Agha. The military action follows a series of deadly cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, which have placed Pakistan’s security establishment under growing pressure.
As Munir accuses India of destabilising the region, Pakistan’s military is itself being condemned for escalating tensions with Afghanistan—a nation still reeling from years of conflict and humanitarian crisis.
This isn’t the first time Munir has resorted to inflammatory language. Just days before a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam this year that claimed 26 civilian lives, Munir had referred to Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” stoking concerns of further unrest in the region.
As Pakistan navigates regional tensions, its Army Chief’s latest outburst has yet again raised fresh alarms about the risks of nuclear brinkmanship in South Asia.
