Washington D.C. – Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has issued a stark warning that Islamabad will “destroy” any dam India builds on the Indus River, vowing to defend Pakistan’s water rights “at all costs.” His remarks came during an address to members of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida, as part of his ongoing visit to the United States.
According to Pakistan-based media outlet ARY News, Munir also reignited anti-India rhetoric, describing Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and calling it an unresolved international dispute, not India’s internal matter. In a separate report, The Dawn quoted him as saying, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it.” He added that the Indus River was “not the Indians’ family property” and warned that Pakistan has the resources to counter what he called India’s “designs to stop the river.”
The Pakistan Army chief further accused India of “aggression under Operation Sindoor” and claimed that Islamabad’s actions had prevented escalation into a broader conflict. He also thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in easing tensions between the two countries.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had previously dismissed Munir’s statements on Kashmir as baseless. Responding on April 17, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory of India and questioned how “anything foreign” could be part of Pakistan’s “jugular vein.” Jaiswal reiterated that Pakistan’s only role regarding Kashmir is to vacate the territories it occupies illegally.
Munir’s US tour included attending the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) change-of-command ceremony in Tampa, where Admiral Brad Cooper succeeded General Michael E. Kurilla. According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Munir praised Kurilla’s leadership in enhancing Pakistan-US military ties and expressed optimism about continued cooperation under Cooper. He also held meetings with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and military leaders from allied nations, extending an invitation for Caine to visit Pakistan.
Following his engagements in Tampa, Munir traveled to Brussels, marking his second high-profile visit to the United States in under two months.
