Pak Army chief puts a target on RIL refinery in future conflicts with India

NEW DELHI: In his bellicose speech where he threatened to nuke India, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir put a target on Reliance Industries Ltd’s refinery — the world’s largest single-site refining complex — at Jamnagar in Gujarat in any future military conflict with New Delhi, indicating for the first time the intent to hit India’s economic assets.

Speaking at a recent dinner at Tampa, Florida, in the US, Munir referred to a social media post with a Quranic verse along with the picture of RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani to say he authorised it during the recent conflict with India "to show them what we will do the next time,” media reports quoting those present at the closed-door event said.

While this set off chatter about Munir threatening the richest Indian, with a net worth of over $115 billion, heading the oil-to-telecom-to-retail conglomerate, narration in the verse from Surah Al-Fil (The Elephant), the 105th chapter of the Quran, can be interpreted as alluding to an aerial attack in modern warfare.

According to open resources, the verse refers to the ‘Year of the Elephant, approximately (570 CE), when Abraha, the ruler of Yemen, led an army with elephants to destroy the Kaaba. Allah then sent flocks of birds carrying stones of baked clay, which struck and destroyed Abraha's army.

India continuously evaluates the military and other threats to its sensitive economic installations, especially those located in border states or considered within range of Pakistan air attacks. In the past, there have been separate reports from intelligence agencies about threats to such installations, particularly the RIL refinery, from Pakistan-based terror groups.

Munir chose Ambani to make his threat because the RIL chief symbolises India’s economic power and potential, rather than personal enmity. Though there are other oil installations and assets considered vulnerable to Pakistani attack, the sheer size of the Jamnagar complex makes it the showstopper in India’s refining sector. With an annual capacity of processing 33 million tonnes of crude, the refinery accounts for 12% of India’s total refining capacity. The complex was commissioned in 1999 and expanded in 2008. It is a major exporter of refined petroleum products and petrochemicals, accounting for 8-9% of India’s merchandise exports by value.

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