ISLAMABAD — Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Pakistan will not remain silent in the face of rising cross-border terrorism, vowing a strong and calculated response following the deadly suicide blast that struck the federal capital on Tuesday, killing 12 people and injuring 30 others.
Speaking after the attack, Asif accused the Afghan Taliban regime of failing to curb militant activity and allowing terrorism to spill into Pakistan’s heartland. “We are in a state of war,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), calling the Islamabad suicide bombing “a wake-up call” for the entire nation.
“Anyone who believes this war is limited to our border regions or remote areas of Balochistan should think again,” Asif said. “The attack in Islamabad has proven that the threat is everywhere and our response will be strong.”
According to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the explosion occurred at 12:39 p.m. when the bomber, unable to enter the District and Sessions Court, detonated explosives near a police vehicle.
In his statement, Asif said Pakistan’s armed forces are already making immense sacrifices to ensure national security, and that the fight against terrorism “belongs to every Pakistani.” He expressed disappointment over the possibility of any successful dialogue with Kabul under the current circumstances.
“The leadership in Kabul has the ability to stop terrorism inside Pakistan, but allowing such an attack in Islamabad sends a clear message,” Asif said, adding that Islamabad had anticipated such incidents as part of a “pressure tactic.”
“The terrorists have sent us a message that no area is beyond their reach. But Pakistan will not tolerate such acts, whether in border towns or urban centers,” he told reporters.
The attack marks the first suicide bombing in Islamabad in three years the last one taking place in December 2022. However, terrorism has surged across the border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021.
Just last month, Pakistan and Afghan forces engaged in intense border clashes after militants launched unprovoked fire into Pakistani territory. Security sources said Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes killed over 200 Taliban fighters and India-backed militants. Although both countries later agreed to a fragile ceasefire, talks to formalize it collapsed last week.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to ensure its territory is not used by anti-Pakistan militant groups, stressing that continued inaction could severely damage bilateral relations.
