Islamabad: In a renewed display of hostility, Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has issued yet another round of nuclear and military threats against India, even as his own country faces mounting criticism for airstrikes on Afghan civilians.

Delivering a provocative address at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul on Saturday, Munir warned that Pakistan’s expanding military capabilities could “shatter the misconceived immunity of India’s geographical warspace.” His comments come amid heightened regional tensions and growing instability along Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan.

Munir’s aggressive rhetoric against India

In his speech, Munir said Pakistan was prepared to respond “beyond proportions” to any Indian provocation, warning of catastrophic regional consequences.

“Should a fresh wave of hostilities be triggered, Pakistan would respond much beyond the expectations of the initiators. 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,” he declared.

He further claimed that Pakistan’s retributive capabilities could cause “deeply hurting military and economic losses” to India, asserting that any escalation “will squarely lie with India.”

Munir also attempted to frame his threats as deterrence, claiming, “There is no space for war in a nuclearised environment.” However, his subsequent warnings of an overwhelming retaliation contradicted his own assertion, revealing the Pakistan Army’s reliance on nuclear brinkmanship to project power despite its weakening economy.

Irony amid Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan

Observers have pointed out the irony of Munir’s remarks, which were delivered while the Pakistan Air Force continues to conduct air raids on Afghan border villages, killing civilians and worsening Islamabad’s diplomatic isolation.

Reports from the region suggest that Pakistan’s military is under severe internal pressure following a spate of deadly Taliban attacks along the Durand Line, with security forces struggling to contain insurgent violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Analysts say Munir’s fiery anti-India rhetoric often serves as a diversionary tactic to shift domestic attention away from Pakistan’s internal crises — including soaring inflation, civil unrest, and deteriorating civil-military relations.

A pattern of anti-India statements

This is not the first time Munir has resorted to aggressive statements against India. Earlier this year, on April 16, he told the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad that Kashmir was Pakistan’s “jugular vein.”

“Our stance is absolutely clear — it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein. We will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle,” Munir said at the time.

Days after that statement, terrorists killed 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, an attack Indian security officials linked to Pakistan-based terror groups.

Munir’s latest comments, analysts warn, fit a recurring pattern of provocation ahead of politically or militarily sensitive moments for Pakistan. His speech also underscores Islamabad’s continued use of nuclear rhetoric as a diplomatic and psychological weapon, even as its conventional military capability faces operational constraints.

Regional implications

Defence experts have described Munir’s latest remarks as “reckless and destabilising,” noting that they risk further undermining regional peace efforts. India, which has maintained a restrained official response, continues to emphasise that terror and dialogue cannot coexist.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s internal challenges — from economic collapse to rising militancy — continue to cast doubt on the army’s ability to sustain aggressive posturing.

As one South Asia analyst noted, “Munir’s nuclear threats ring hollow when Pakistan can barely control its own territory. The more Islamabad tries to project external strength, the more it exposes internal fragility.”