New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday issued a strong statement in response to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff during his visit to the United States.

'Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the United States. Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan's stock-in-trade,' the MEA official spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added,'The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.'

The MEA spokesperson further expressed regret that these remarks were made from the soil of a friendly third country. 'It is also regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country,' the official said.

'India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail and will continue to take all necessary steps to safeguard its national security, the MEA spokesperson affirmed.' the MEA statement further said.

Despite this firm stance, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir has once again threatened India, warning that Islamabad would plunge the region into nuclear war and could take 'almost half of the world' down if faced with an existential threat in a future conflict with New Delhi. During his ongoing visit to the United States, General Munir also stated that Islamabad will defend its water rights 'at all costs' if India proceeds with dam construction on the Indus River.

Munir also repeated his anti-India rhetoric by describing Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein,' asserting that it is not India's internal matter but an unresolved international issue, Pakistan-based media outlet ARY News reported on Monday. 'We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it,' Munir told members of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida, according to a report published today in The Dawn.

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,' adding that Islamabad has 'no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river,' the Dawn reported.

ARY News cited Munir as condemning 'Indian aggression under Operation Sindoor,' calling it a grave violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. He also stated, 'A bilateral conflict due to any mistake by India would be a huge blunder.' Munir credited Pakistan's response with successfully preventing a wider conflict and thanked US President Donald Trump for his role in defusing tensions between the two countries.

Ahead of the Pahalgam attack, India had strongly rebutted Pakistan Army Chief General Munir's remarks describing Kashmir as Pakistan's 'jugular vein,' calling the claim baseless and asserting that the only relationship Pakistan has with Kashmir is to vacate the territory it occupies illegally.

Meanwhile, Munir recently visited two US cities over the weekend and flew to Brussels on Sunday after completing his second high-profile trip to the United States in less than two months. Like his previous visit, he engaged with political and military leadership in the host country, Dawn reported.

In Tampa, the Pakistan army chief attended the US Central Command (CENTCOM) change of command ceremony. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), his engagements included the retirement ceremony of General Michael E. Kurilla, Commander of CENTCOM, and the change of command where Admiral Brad Cooper assumed charge.

Dawn quoted ISPR as saying that Field Marshal Munir praised General Kurilla's 'exemplary leadership and invaluable contributions in strengthening Pakistan-US military relations' and expressed confidence that Admiral Cooper 'would take this partnership forward to address shared security challenges.'

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Asim Munir met US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and chiefs of defence from other friendly countries. He invited General Caine to visit Pakistan and reaffirmed Islamabad's role as a key regional security stakeholder, Dawn reported. (ANI)