Asim Munir spews venom again, says Pakistan will wait for India to build dam on Indus, ‘phir 10 missile sey gira denge’

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has threatened India that his country would target dams with missiles if the Indus Waters Treaty remains suspended, a report by The Print stated. Speaking at a private dinner in Tampa, Florida, Munir told members of the Pakistani diaspora, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when it does so, phir 10 missile sey faarigh kar dengey [we will destroy it with 10 missiles].”

“The Indus river is not the Indians’ family property. Humein missilon ki kami nahin hai, al-Hamdulillah [we have no shortage of missiles, Praise be to God],” he said.

The remarks were delivered at a black-tie dinner hosted by Adnan Asad, Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa. The event was attended by around 120 Florida-based members of the Pakistani diaspora. Guests were prohibited from carrying mobile phones or digital devices into the venue, and no official transcript of the speech was released. ThePrint reported that it reconstructed the speech using accounts from multiple attendees.

Munir was in Florida to attend the retirement ceremony of General Michael Kurilla, outgoing commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). General Michael Kurilla had praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” to the US in countering terrorism. The General was also conferred Pakistan’s highest civilian honour.

India is like Mercedes: Munir

In one of the most unusual moments of his speech, Munir likened the two countries to vehicles on a highway. “India is shining Mercedes coming on a highway like Ferrari [sic], but we are a dump truck full of gravel. If the truck hits the car, who is going to be the loser?” he asked.

The comparison was aimed at portraying Pakistan as a state capable of inflicting severe damage despite India’s greater economic and technological resources.

References to past conflict

Munir criticised India’s refusal to release casualty figures from the recent Four-Day war, calling on New Delhi to “accept their losses” and adding, “Sportsman spirit is a virtue.” He said he had offered to release Pakistan’s loss figures publicly, on the condition that India do the same.The army chief also referred to a past social media post during the conflict, saying, “Ek tweet karwaya tha with Surah Fil and a picture of [industrialist] Mukesh Ambani to show them what we will do the next time.” The Surah Fil verse refers to birds dropping stones on enemy elephants, reducing them “to chewed-up straw.”

Call for diaspora involvement

Addressing the audience, Munir urged overseas Pakistanis to contribute more to the country’s interests. Using a metaphor with Hindi film-style phrasing, he said, “Kisi ki maa kaali ho sakti hai, aur kisi ki dharti-maa kaali ho sakti hai, par maa maa hoti hai [someone’s mother might be dark-skinned, and the earth of someone’s motherland might be dark, but a mother is a mother].”

He claimed that Pakistan, as one of two states founded on the basis of the Kalimah, would be blessed by God with natural resources, including rare earth metals, minerals, and hydrocarbons.

Diplomatic reference and closing remarks

Munir also commented on recent India-US tensions, suggesting Pakistan could teach “masterclasses on balancing rival powers.” He added, “The real reason for our success is that we are not misers. If someone does good work, we praise and appreciate them. That is why we nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Prize.”