Asim Munir : “Osama Bin Laden in Military Uniform”
Pakistan’s hawkish Army Chief Syed Asim Munir Shah has threatened to take “half the world down” if confronted with an existential threat from India. Speaking at a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Florida, US, hosted by Pakistan’s honorary consul Adnan Asad, the army chief said, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.”
Munir also threatened to blow up with missiles any dam built by India on the Indus river. He said, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, 10 missiles se faarigh kar denge (we will destroy it with 10 missiles).. The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahi hai, al-Hamdulillah (we don’t have a missile shortage, Praise be to Allah).”
The Pakistani army chief also threatened to attack Reliance group’s Jamnagar oil refinery. He referred to a social media post with a Quranic verse and picture of Reliance group chairman Mukesh Ambani to say that he authorised it during the conflict with India “to show them what we will do the next time”. The Quranic verse relates to how an army of elephants was destroyed in a battle by flying birds carrying stones.
In Delhi, the External Affairs ministry reacted to Asim Munir’s remarks saying India will not give in to nuclear blackmail. “Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade”, the MEA spokesperson said. He also said, “it is regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country….. The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-gloves with terrorist groups.”
Asim Munir was in the US to attend the retirement ceremony of outgoing CENTCOM (US Central Command) chief Gen Michael Kurilla, and the change of command ceremony where Admiral Brad Cooper took over. He also met with Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. Asim Munir is now facing a lot of flak for his “
nuclear sabre-rattling” comments. Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin said, “Asim Munir is Osama bin Laden in a suit… The Field Marshal’s rhetoric is reminiscent of what we’ve heard from the Islamic State.”
When Asim Munir starts “nuclear sabre-rattling” against India, the world should ponder whether Pakistan’s nuclear assets are in safe hands. In a country where there is hardly any distinction between the civilian government and the army, where the army generals openly attend funerals of hardened terrorists, are Pakistan’s nuclear bombs in safe custody? Is it not a threat to world peace?
What is the motive behind Asim Munir’s nuclear threat, when he compares India and Pakistan with a gleaming Mercedes colliding with a dumper carrying stones? Even the people of Pakistan are questioning why the “failed Field Marshal” is speaking in an irresponsible manner. And why is the US silent?
Shahbaz Gill, former adviser to jailed ex-PM Imran Khan, has described Asim Munir’s remarks as irresponsible. He said, the world should sit up and take notice and ensure that Pakistan’s atomic weapons are in safe hands. Experts in Pakistan say that the Army Chief’s tenure is ending in November this year and he is desperately seeking a five-year extension, but former PM Nawaz Sharif has put a spoke in the wheels. Nawaz Sharif wants to become the Prime Minister again and he wants the Army to support him. If the Pakistani army does so, Munir may get an extension.
I think it is not Asim Munir’s fault that he is making such irresponsible remarks. It is the fault of those who hosted the “failed Field Marshal” to lunch with the US President at the White House.
It is not Asim Munir’s fault when he threatens to blow up half the world. The fault lies with those who invited the terror mastermind to the US and allowed him to sit with top US generals.
The fault is not of a failed general like Munir. It is the fault of Pakistan’s civilian government which seems to be tired, which unnecessarily bestowed the rank of Field Marshal on its “failed general”.
It is not Asim Munir’s fault if he has lost control over his brains. The fault lies with the system that made him the boss of a factory of terrorists. The culprit is the country that ensured an easy IMF loan to Pakistan and opened up funds for fuelling terror.
India knows how to deal with Asim Munir. Two days ago, Indian Air Force Chief described how our forces destroyed six Pakistani aircrafts, crippled its air defence system and damaged their Air Force stations.
India is not afraid of nuclear blackmail by Pakistan, because our Army Chief and Air Force Chief have already said that all corners of Pakistan are within reach of Indian missiles.
The problem lies with those countries who gave weapons to Pakistan, provided Pakistan’s army with real-time intelligence during war and made Pakistan the testing ground for their missiles, fighter jets and air defence systems.
It is because of these countries that Asim Munir summoned courage to blabber what he did in Tampa, Florida. India’s policy is clear. India’s armed forces are ready. If Munir and his army do any fresh mischief, nobody can save Pakistan from being destroyed.