Pakistan has "strongly rejected" remarks by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over comments attributed to the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff during a visit to the United States, calling them "immature" and "a demonstration of their chronic tendency to distort facts and twist statements out of context".
In a statement on Tuesday, the Pakistani foreign office said India's description of the reported remarks as "nuclear blackmail" was a "misleading and self-serving construct", adding that Pakistan "remains firmly opposed to the use or threat of use of force".
It accused New Delhi of "sabre rattling and war mongering whenever confronted", and dismissed the MEA's allegations as "irresponsible and without a shred of evidence".
The Pakistani ministry said that Pakistan is "a responsible nuclear weapon state with an elaborate command and control structure under full civilian control" and has "always exercised discipline and restraint" in dealing with sensitive security issues.
It also criticised what it called a "pointless reference to third countries" in the Indian statement, saying it reflected "India's lack of diplomatic confidence" and was a "futile attempt to unnecessarily involve other countries".
The statement said "any act of Indian aggression or violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with an immediate and matching response", placing "the onus of any ensuing escalation" on India's leadership.
'Stock-in-trade'
Pakistan's army chief, General Asim Munir, during his visit to the US on Saturday, reportedly said that Islamabad would never allow India to choke the Indus River and would defend its water rights at all costs.
"We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it," multiple Indian news outlets quoted him as saying at an event with the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida.
"The Indus River is not the Indians' family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river."
Reacting to Munir's comments, India said it would continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard its national security.
Earlier on Tuesday, Indian MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said New Delhi's attention had been drawn to remarks reportedly made by Pakistan's army chief in the US. He described "nuclear sabre-rattling" as Pakistan's "stock-in-trade".
He said the comments reinforced "well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups".
Jaiswal added it was "regrettable" that the remarks were made "from the soil of a friendly third country" and reiterated that India "will not give in to nuclear blackmail" and will take "all steps necessary" to protect its national security.
