In a sharp rebuke of Pakistan’s military leadership, former Pentagon official Michael Rubin has likened Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir to Osama bin Laden, following Munir’s recent nuclear threat remarks made on US soil. Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, accused Munir of behaving like a “rogue leader” and said Pakistan was veering dangerously close to resembling a terror-linked state.

The controversy stems from General Munir’s alleged comment during a meeting in Tampa, Florida, in the presence of US military officials, where he warned that if Pakistan were to fall, it would “take half the world down with it.” The remarks have since drawn international condemnation, especially from India, which criticized Pakistan’s nuclear posturing as irresponsible and dangerous.

“Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, adding that it was “deeply regrettable” that such comments were made from the soil of a friendly third country.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Rubin denounced Munir’s rhetoric, saying, “Asim Munir is Osama bin Laden in a suit.” He went on to say that such threats could embolden extremist elements within Pakistan to act independently with access to nuclear materials, further destabilizing regional and global security.

Rubin also called for the US to revoke Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally, urging the State Department to designate it a state sponsor of terrorism. He proposed that General Munir and other top Pakistani officials be barred from entering the United States, until Pakistan provides an explanation and formal apology for its threatening statements.

He warned of a future scenario where international special forces may need to secure Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, should the country’s instability worsen. “It’s coming near time when other SEAL teams should enter Pakistan to secure its nuclear weapons,” Rubin said, drawing a parallel with the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

Further, Rubin suggested the international community consider a “managed decline” of Pakistan, including potentially recognizing breakaway regions like Balochistan. His comments underscore growing concerns among Western policymakers about the volatility of Pakistan’s civil-military dynamics and its implications for global security.