India slams Pakistan's 'war-mongering' after Asim Munir's nuclear threats, warns of 'painful consequences'

India earlier strongly condemned Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir's nuclear threat issued from US soil

After Pakistan army chief Asim Munir issued a nuclear threat to India, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday condemned the recent remarks made by the Pakistan leadership.

"We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, war-mongering and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India. It is a well-known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their own failures. Pakistan would be well-advised to temper its rhetoric, as any misadventure will have painful consequences, as was demonstrated recently,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

During his recent visit to the US,  Munir reportedly declared that Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation, would "take half the world down" if faced with an "existential threat" from India.

VIDEO | Delhi: Responding to a question regarding the award by the Court of Arbitration under the Indus Water Treaty, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements… pic.twitter.com/j4vknHuOpr

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 14, 2025

Former Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto also threatened India over the suspension of Indus Water Treaty. He accused India of inflicting "great damage" on Pakistan and called for national unity against Prime Minister Narendra Modi."United as one, we must raise our voices against this oppression. I know that you have the strength, that the people of this nation have the strength, that whatever the situation—even in war—we can face them, and reclaim what has been taken from you—the six rivers—and if they force us to," Bhutto said.

Pakistan recently welcomed the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the Indus Waters Treaty. The ruling interpreted design criteria for Indian hydropower projects on Western Rivers.

However, Jaiswal said India never accepted the legality, legitimacy, or competence of the so-called Court of Arbitration. "Its pronouncements are, therefore, without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing, and have no bearing on India’s rights to utilise the waters. India also categorically rejects Pakistan’s selective and misleading references to the so-called 'award.' As reiterated in our press release dated 27 June 2025, the Indus Waters Treaty stands in abeyance by a sovereign decision of the Government of India, taken in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the barbaric Pahalgam attack," he said at the press conference.

The MEA’s response came after Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, threatened India for keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.

“I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to hold our water, then keep this in mind — you cannot snatch even one drop of Pakistan," said Sharif.

He warned that if India tried, “you will again be taught such a lesson that you will be left holding your ears."

Munir reportedly said Islamabad would destroy any dam if India cut off water flow. “We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it," Dawn quoted him as saying. “The Indus River is not the Indians’ family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river."