Web Desk; Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan could strike terrorist sanctuaries inside Afghanistan following the day’s deadly attacks in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least 12 people were killed and 36 injured in a suicide bombing near the district and sessions court in Islamabad. The attack occurred as the capital hosted major international events, including the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference and the 6th Margalla Dialogue, while Pakistan and Sri Lanka faced off in Rawalpindi for the first ODI.
Meanwhile, a clearance operation was underway in Cadet College Wana, South Waziristan, where terrorists had taken shelter inside the educational institution.
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan was “compelled to act” after these coordinated attacks. When asked whether Pakistan would respond militarily, he said, “God willing,” adding that strikes on Afghan-based terrorist hideouts “cannot be ruled out.”
The minister said Pakistan should no longer harbour illusions about the Afghan Taliban’s intentions. “Let’s not fool ourselves. They are neither our sympathisers nor sincere about peace,” he said, adding that there was no unified administration in Kabul, but a patchwork of factions with conflicting interests.
According to Asif, some groups in Afghanistan were aligned with India, which he alleged was using Afghan territory to fuel aggression against Pakistan. “These incidents are a prelude to Indian aggression being waged through Afghan soil,” he said.
He revealed that around 2,500–3,000 militants had entered Pakistan from Afghanistan over the past year, forming sleeper cells across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “About 55% of the terrorists killed in recent operations were Afghan nationals,” he noted.
Asif warned that Pakistan could not rely on Kabul’s verbal assurances. “No one in Afghanistan itself trusts their leadership,” he said, stressing that Pakistan had both the capacity and resolve to defend its borders.
He confirmed that Pakistani forces had already pursued militants into Afghan territory in “hot pursuit” operations and said such responses would now intensify.
Commenting on reports of a blast in New Delhi, Asif predicted that India might soon blame Pakistan. However, he emphasised that Pakistan sought peace, not confrontation. “We are focused on economic recovery and cannot afford conflict. But if provoked, we will respond in kind,” he asserted.
He also cautioned that India might stage a “false flag” operation before the second phase of the Bihar elections. “We remain fully alert since the May conflict. Any adventure will be met with a firm response,” he concluded.
