Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has launched a scathing attack on former prime minister Imran Khan, accusing him of bringing “thousands of Taliban” into Pakistan and allowing them to settle in the country.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Asif said that Pakistan is now facing the deadly consequences of those decisions, as the nation continues to suffer from terrorism and militancy.
‘PTI still talking about negotiations with terrorists’
Asif claimed that even today, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continues to advocate for talks with militant groups. He condemned the stance, emphasizing that the country has already endured years of violence and loss due to failed peace efforts.
“For years, the blood of our army and people has been shed,” Asif said. “Despite talks with the Afghan government and delegations going to Kabul, the bloodshed in Pakistan has not stopped.”
Pakistan paying price for Afghan hospitality
The minister lamented that Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees for decades but is now “paying the price of 60 million Afghan refugees for 60 years of hospitality with our own blood.”
He described the ongoing wave of terrorist attacks as an unbearable burden and urged that it was time for Afghan nationals to return to their homeland.
“It is time for the Afghan guests to go home and stop this gratuitous and benevolent killing,” he added. “What kind of guests are these who shed the blood of their hosts and provide shelter to murderers?”
Context: Rising tensions amid security concerns
Asif’s remarks come amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, following a surge in terror incidents across the border regions. Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused elements operating from Afghan soil of orchestrating attacks against its security forces.
The government recently announced stricter measures against undocumented migrants, further fueling a national debate over the future of Afghan refugees in the country.
On Thursday, the defence minister told the National Assembly that Pakistan’s patience had exhausted and those who shelter terrorists “will have to answer”. He proposed sending a delegation to Afghanistan next week and urged federal and provincial governments to unite behind the armed forces.
Khawaja Asif said Islamabad must tell Afghan authorities that terrorism originating from Afghan soil “is now intolerable.” He recalled an official visit to Afghanistan three years ago — when the DG ISI accompanied him — during which Pakistan warned that terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil were being used to launch attacks into Pakistani provinces.
Asif said Afghan interlocutors had reportedly offered to move those sanctuaries for a payment of Rs10 billion, but Islamabad asked for guarantees that militants would not return — guarantees Afghanistan could not provide, the minister alleged.
Casualties and call for national unity
The defence minister recalled recent battlefield losses, saying two officers and nine soldiers were martyred on Wednesday, and highlighted the deep pain among the families of the martyrs. He urged both federal and provincial authorities to stand with the Pakistan Army and remove political differences in the face of the threat.
“Be it federal or provincial, everyone should stand with the forces,” he said, stressing that national unity is indispensable to end the scourge of terrorism.
Those who shelter terrorists ‘will have to answer’
Asif warned that whether shelters exist on Pakistan’s soil or in Afghanistan, those providing sanctuary will be held accountable. “Wherever there are shelters, they will have to suffer,” he said, adding that the patience of the Pakistani government and the armed forces has reached its limit and that there will be no more concessions for terrorists.
He framed the proposed Kabul delegation as a diplomatic effort to press Afghan authorities for action and guarantees — signalling a mix of diplomacy and firm resolve.
