Reports on the website of Indian magazine "India Today" stated that Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, publicly listed India's key economic facilities - the Jamnagar Refinery of Reliance Industries in Gujarat, one of the world's largest refineries - as potential military targets for the first time during a closed-door dinner in Tampa, Florida, USA yesterday.
Munir said that if India continues to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, he would use missiles to destroy India's dams, saying, "Once India builds the dams, we will destroy them with ten missiles."
Munir also called on overseas Pakistanis to strengthen their support and emphasized Pakistan's unique diplomatic position in the competition among global powers.
The senior leadership of the Pakistani military has taken a more hardened stance than before. This move reflects that, against the backdrop of escalating security tensions along the India-Pakistan border, Pakistan is willing to adopt a more aggressive posture to safeguard its strategic interests.
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned his remarks as "nuclear threats and intimidation," reiterating that it will resolutely safeguard national security, not fear nuclear coercion, and warned that such statements undermine regional peace and stability.
Indian media quoted "international media and defense experts" stating that the outside world "generally criticized Munir," calling his remarks highly threatening and increasing the risk of conflict in South Asia.
Munir's public threats against India's important economic targets and water resources facilities are the latest and most direct response to India's actions. However, one hand cannot clap. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, has been a key framework for India and Pakistan to manage shared water resources and avoid conflicts. India's suspension of its obligations under the treaty undoubtedly touched Pakistan's core interests, triggering a strong backlash.
In the future, if both sides fail to restart dialogue and restore trust, water disputes will continue to be a focal point of India-Pakistan conflicts, seriously threatening the peace and stability of South Asia.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840239043345415/
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