'Won't sacrifice one friend for another', says Pakistan army chief on ties with US and China

Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has said the country will not be forced to choose between China and the United States, stressing that Islamabad has long experience in maintaining balance between the two powers.

“We will not sacrifice one friend for another,” he remarked during a wide-ranging discussion with senior journalist Sohail Warraich in Brussels.

The two-hour conversation, later published in Warraich’s Urdu daily column, went beyond foreign policy, with Munir outlining a comprehensive economic roadmap aimed at positioning Pakistan among the world’s developed nations within the next five to 10 years.

According to Warraich, the army chief pointed to the vast copper and gold reserves at Reko Diq in Balochistan, projecting net annual profits of $2 billion that would grow over time. He described the resource as a “rare land-based treasure” capable of repaying Pakistan’s debts and driving it toward prosperity.

The army chief’s profile has risen sharply since Pakistan’s most serious conflict in decades with India earlier this year. Following the decisive confrontation in May, the government awarded him a rare promotion to Field Marshal, citing his “strategic brilliance and courageous leadership” in ensuring national security and achieving victory.

On domestic politics, the army chief dismissed speculation about any imminent change in the country’s setup as unfounded.

“God has made me the protector of the country. I have no desire for any position beyond this. I am a soldier and my greatest wish is martyrdom,” he said.

He also praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 18-hour workdays and the cabinet’s resolve during the war, saying their determination “deserves to be appreciated.”

Munir added that political reconciliation was possible only “through sincerely seeking forgiveness.”

Trump’s peace moves dubbed ‘genuine’

On wider global diplomacy, the Field Marshal described U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives as “genuine,” noting that Pakistan was the first to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize - a move he said was now being echoed internationally.

At the same time, he issued stark warnings to neighbors.

Field Marshal Munir cautioned India against destabilizing Pakistan through proxies and urged Kabul to end what he alleged was a policy of pushing Taliban fighters across the border.

“Otherwise, it is our duty to take revenge for every Pakistani’s blood,” he warned, recalling that Pakistan had long shown generosity to Afghans who, in his words, were “conspiring against us with India.”

The April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists sparked the latest escalation, with India blaming Pakistan-based militants and launching retaliatory strikes across the Line of Control.

Both sides traded missile and drone attacks until a “full and immediate ceasefire” was brokered by U.S. President Trump on May 10.