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Asim Munir threatens India with ‘jugular vein’ remark in US, says ‘no shortage of resources to…'
Asim Munir claimed Islamabad had “no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river.”
Pakistan army chief Syed Asim Munir yet again repeated the anti-India rhetoric, this time in the United States. While reiterating his ‘juglar vein’ remark he claimed that Kashmir is not New Delhi's internal matter but an unresolved international issue.
The remarks came as over the weekend, Munir visited two US cities before travelling to Brussels on Sunday, marking his second high-profile trip to Washington in less than two months.
At a black-tie dinner in Washington DC hosted by Adnan Asad, Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Munir said the Indus River “is not the Indians’ family property” and claimed Islamabad had “no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river,” according to The Dawn cited by news agency ANI.
Speaking during his ongoing visit to the US, he said, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it,” Pakistan-based media outlet ARY News reported on Monday, citing remarks at an event in Tampa, Florida.
Asim Munir was in Tampa for attending the US Central Command (CENTCOM) change of command ceremony, where Admiral Brad Cooper took over from General Michael E Kurilla.
Reiterates ‘jugular vein’ comment on Kashmir
Munir repeated his earlier description of Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” asserting that it is not India’s internal matter but “an unresolved international issue.”
He also accused India of “aggression under Operation Sindoor,” calling it a “grave violation” of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
“A bilateral conflict due to any mistake by India would be a huge blunder,” Munir was quoted as saying by ARY News. He claimed Pakistan’s response had averted a wider conflict and thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in reducing tensions between the two countries.
India rejects Pakistan’s claims
India has previously dismissed Munir’s “jugular vein” remarks as baseless. Following similar comments by Munir in April before Pahalgam attack, India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, “How can anything foreign be in a jugular vein?"
He added, “This is a union territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally occupied territories by that country.”
Jaiswal also rejected suggestions of US mediation in the India-Pakistan ceasefire, stating that the agreement was reached through direct talks between the militaries of the two nations.
(With ANI inputs)
