ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday issued a stern warning to Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, declaring that Pakistan has both the resolve and capability to respond decisively to any cross-border terrorism after a deadly suicide bombing in the federal capital claimed 12 lives.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the attack occurred at 12:39 p.m. when a suicide bomber, unable to enter the District and Sessions Court, detonated explosives near a police vehicle.
Taking to social media, Asif condemned the attack, calling it a wake-up call for the entire nation.
“We are in a state of war. Anyone who believes this war is confined to border regions or remote parts of Balochistan must reconsider after today’s attack,” he wrote on X.
He emphasized that the armed forces are not just defending the borders but ensuring national security through their sacrifices.
‘Kabul Bringing War to Islamabad’
The defence minister accused the Taliban-led government in Kabul of enabling terror groups to operate freely on Afghan soil, warning that Islamabad could no longer pin hopes on dialogue under such circumstances.
“The Kabul leadership can stop terrorism in Pakistan, but bringing this war to Islamabad carries a clear message,” he said.
Speaking to journalists later, Asif described the attack as a deliberate attempt to pressure Pakistan. “This was a message to show that all our areas are within their reach,” he noted, adding that Pakistan “will respond with full force” and “will not tolerate terrorism — whether in the borderlands or the heart of our cities.”
Rising Cross-Border Tensions
The Islamabad bombing was the first in three years, with the last such attack reported in December 2022. However, violence has surged across Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Last month, intense clashes along the Pak-Afghan border left over 200 militants — including Taliban fighters and India-backed operatives — dead after Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes. A fragile ceasefire was later reached but quickly faltered amid failed negotiations.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to stop its soil from being used as a safe haven for militants targeting Pakistan.
