ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday issued a stern warning to Kabul, declaring that Pakistan reserves the right to carry out retaliatory strikes inside Afghanistan if terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil continue to target Pakistani forces and civilians.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Asif said that Fitna-e-Khawarij elements based in Afghanistan have been launching repeated cross-border attacks with Indian backing, and warned that Pakistan would not remain passive in the face of such aggression. “If Khawarij operating from Afghan soil cross our border and spill Pakistani blood, then it is our right to enter Afghan territory to exact justice,” — Khawaja Asif, Defence Minister of Pakistan
The minister said that while Pakistan continues to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty, Kabul must ensure that its soil is not used for terrorism against its neighbor. He emphasized that Islamabad’s patience has limits: “Pakistan will always protect Afghan territorial sanctity — but not at the expense of its own.” He concluded his message with “Allahu Akbar.” Failure of Kabul’s Assurances
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Asif noted that the Afghan government has failed to provide credible guarantees that militant groups would not exploit Afghan territory for attacks on Pakistan.
He accused India of sponsoring Khawarij networks operating from across the Durand Line, saying that these groups are actively trying to destabilize Pakistan’s western border regions.
The defence minister’s remarks come amid a sharp escalation in terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which Islamabad says are being orchestrated from Afghan sanctuaries. Political Context and PTI Earlier this week, Khawaja Asif criticized the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging that he had brought thousands of Taliban fighters into Pakistan and provided them with shelter.
He claimed that PTI continues to advocate dialogue with terrorist groups, a policy he said has “cost Pakistan dearly.” “For years, our soldiers and citizens have been shedding blood while some politicians sought appeasement,” he said, calling such stances a betrayal of Pakistan’s martyrs. Asif added that despite years of diplomatic engagement and multiple delegations to Kabul, the violence and cross-border infiltration have not ceased.
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The Defence Minister’s warning marks one of the strongest statements yet from Islamabad regarding potential cross-border action, underscoring growing frustration with Afghanistan’s inability to curb militant activity along the shared frontier.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns with the Taliban-led government in Kabul about Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries in eastern Afghanistan. Observers see Asif’s statement as signaling a policy shift toward direct deterrence, especially after the ISPR’s recent revelation that nearly 30 Afghan suicide bombers were involved in attacks inside Pakistan over the past two years.