Pakistan Defense Minister Threatens War Against Afghanistan Following Islamabad Attack Claimed by Taliban

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a stark "war" warning to Kabul following terrorist attacks in Islamabad. He accused the Afghan Taliban regime of harboring terrorists responsible for violence within Pakistani borders, threatening that Islamabad felt "compelled" to conduct strikes on Afghanistan.

The minister's comments followed a devastating suicide blast in Islamabad on Tuesday that killed 12 people and injured 36 others. The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has claimed responsibility for this suicide bombing.

In an interview with Geo News, Asif stated that attacks on "terrorist sanctuaries" in Afghanistan "could not be ruled out" and that war with Kabul "could definitely happen" following Tuesday's attack.

The Pakistani minister dismissed Afghanistan's condemnation of the terror attack as mere "political drama," claiming that most terrorists killed during confrontations with Pakistani forces have been Afghan nationals. He emphasized that Pakistan was "compelled" to take action after these recent attacks.

Asif directly accused both Kabul and India of supporting recent terror strikes in Islamabad and Wana, threatening that Pakistan "can launch an attack on Afghanistan anytime."

He claimed: "All these terrorists have come from there (Afghanistan), and their formations have penetrated into Pakistan over many months. They've been slowly stationing these groups here for the past year; they've sent around 2,500-3,000 people in the past year, and they're present in various areas... Around 55 per cent of terrorists killed were Afghans."

The Defence Minister further alleged that there was no "united government" in Kabul, suggesting the Taliban regime consists of various groups with different interests and agendas.

"Some are linked with India, and some have their strings being pulled from elsewhere, so both of these incidents, I think, are a prelude to a coming aggression that could happen from the Afghan side, actually, it will be Indian aggression that is being waged in our country through the route of Afghanistan," he stated.

Asif warned India and Afghanistan against any misadventure, declaring Pakistan would "pay back in the same coin." He asserted: "Pakistan will never initiate any military adventure; however, we will not let any act of aggression go unanswered; we will respond forcefully."

In previous interviews, Asif has claimed, without providing evidence, that Kabul was fighting "India's proxy war" along the Durand Line.

In another interview circulating online, the Defence Minister claimed, "By attacking Islamabad, Afghanistan has increased the temperature of war." When a journalist mentioned that the TTP had claimed responsibility for the Islamabad blast, Asif appeared surprised, responding, "Is it?"

Later, in a post on social media platform X, the Pakistani minister declared that Islamabad was in a "state of war" without directly naming any specific party.

"We are in a state of war. Anyone who thinks that the Pakistan Army is fighting this war in the Afghan-Pakistan border region and the remote areas of Balochistan should take today's suicide attack at the Islamabad district courts as a wake-up call: this is a war for all of Pakistan, in which the Pakistan Army is giving daily sacrifices and making the people feel secure," Asif wrote.