Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has reportedly vowed that Pakistan will not allow India to obstruct the Indus River and will defend its water rights “at all costs,” even if it means destroying any controversial dam New Delhi seeks to build.
Speaking to members of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida, during his second US visit in less than two months, Field Marshal Munir declared, “The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo Indian designs to stop the river.” He warned, “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do, we will destroy it.”
High-Level Engagements in the US and Belgium
The army chief visited Tampa to attend the US Central Command (CENTCOM) change of command ceremony, marking the retirement of General Michael E. Kurilla and the appointment of Admiral Brad Cooper. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), FM Munir lauded Gen Kurilla’s leadership in strengthening Pakistan-US military ties and expressed confidence that Admiral Cooper would advance the partnership to tackle shared security challenges.
On the sidelines, he met US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and defence chiefs from other allied nations, inviting Gen Caine to visit Pakistan and reaffirming Islamabad’s role as a key regional security stakeholder. Following his US engagements, FM Munir travelled to Brussels for further diplomatic and military consultations.
Outreach to the Pakistani Diaspora
At a black-tie dinner hosted by Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Adnan Asad, and attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Ambassador Rizwan Shaikh, and prominent community members, FM Munir described overseas Pakistanis as a “source of dignity and pride” and a “brain gain, not a brain drain.” He urged the diaspora to invest in Pakistan, pointing to untapped potential in minerals, energy, and emerging technologies, and warned against the manipulation of social media by anti-state actors.
Comments on Regional Security and India
Addressing regional tensions, FM Munir accused India’s intelligence agency, RAW, of engaging in transnational terrorism, citing incidents in Canada, Qatar, and the case of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. He condemned “unprovoked aggression” along the Line of Control and criticised New Delhi’s reluctance to acknowledge battlefield losses during recent skirmishes.
He reiterated Pakistan’s position that Jammu and Kashmir is an “unfinished international agenda” requiring UN resolution implementation. He credited former US President Donald Trump with helping avert a potential war between India and Pakistan, while underscoring that his US visit aimed to open “a new chapter” in bilateral relations, with major investment prospects from the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and China.
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