New Delhi: Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent nuclear threat from US soil underscores that the neighbouring country is an “irresponsible” state to possess such weapons, government sources said on Monday.
They warned of a real risk that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of non-state actors, adding that Munir’s remarks reflect the absence of democracy in the country.
Speaking to members of the Pakistani diaspora in Tampa, Florida, Munir reportedly said that if Pakistan faced an existential threat in a future conflict with India, it would respond with nuclear force. “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us,” he was quoted as saying by media reports.
According to the sources, such rhetoric is typical of Pakistan’s military, which often reveals its aggressive stance whenever it enjoys backing from the US. They reiterated that the military, not a democratic system, governs Pakistan.
“Emboldened by the reception in the US, the next step could be a silent or open coup to install the Field Marshal as President,” one source claimed.
