Defence Minister warns of more strikes inside Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD – Situation remained tensed between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and now Defence Minister Khawaja Asif hinted at military operations inside Afghanistan after the recent wave of deadly terror attacks in Islamabad and Wana.

As the nation mourns deaths after suicide bombing in capital city, Khawaja Asif said Pakistan “absolutely can and should not rule out” military action across the border if attacks continue.  This possibility should not be dismissed, Asif said bluntly.

The minister’s statement came just days after a suicide bombing at the Islamabad district court and a foiled assault on Cadet College Wana, which he described as a “plot to massacre children, just like APS tragedy in Peshawar.

He said military managed to save 635 students, teachers, and staff, thwarting what he claimed could have been “another national nightmare. Islamabad attack was a message as they wanted to show they can strike anywhere, even in the capital,” he warned.

Rejecting Kabul’s condemnation of the incidents, Asif said, “Mere words of sorrow don’t prove sincerity,” adding that Pakistan should “not be naïve enough to believe the Taliban want peace.”

Read more: Pakistan Says It Has Evidence of India Waging ‘Low-Intensity War’ from Afghan Soil: Asif”

Asif further alleged that the recent attacks are part of a larger campaign orchestrated by India through Afghan soil. “These assaults are the beginning of aggression from Afghanistan, but make no mistake, it’s India’s aggression, carried out from across the border,” he said.

He revealed that 2,500 to 3,000 militants have infiltrated Pakistan over the past year, with around 55% of killed terrorists identified as Afghan nationals.

Defence Minister hinted that Pakistan’s forces have already been pursuing militants across the border, both physically and through aerial operations, and warned that “such actions will increase in the future.”

He added that Pakistan is fully capable of handling the situation without third-party mediation but stressed that the government wishes to avoid a wider conflict that could distract from economic recovery and internal stability.