Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pak's stock-in-trade: India

Regrettable that remarks came from the soil of a friendly third country: MEA

- ARCHIS MOHAN

India on Monday slammed Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir's nuclear threat, stating that "nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan's stock-in-trade". India said such threats reinforced the well-founded doubts about the integrity of Pakistan's nuclear command and control where that country's military was hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.

"India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail. We will continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard our national security," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. New Delhi termed it "regrettable" that Munir's remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country.

Munir is currently in the US, his second visit to that country in the last two months.

"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 said.