Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday warned that Pakistan could launch cross-border strikes inside Afghanistan following a string of deadly terrorist attacks in Islamabad and South Waziristan. Accusing the Afghan Taliban regime of sheltering militants responsible for the violence, Asif said Pakistan would respond firmly to any aggression, warning both Afghanistan and India against any “misadventure.”
Speaking to Geo News, the minister said cross-border action could not be ruled out after the recent attacks that killed and injured dozens. He rejected Kabul’s condemnation of the incidents, saying such statements could not be taken as proof of sincerity. “Those sheltered by the Afghan Taliban are repeatedly attacking us,” Asif said, adding that Pakistan would not start a war but would respond decisively if provoked.
The warning came after a powerful explosion near the Islamabad judicial complex on Tuesday killed at least 12 people and injured over 25, most of them lawyers. The blast, caused by explosives planted in a parked car, ripped through the court premises around 12:30 pm during peak business hours. The explosion, heard several kilometres away, caused widespread panic and left several vehicles charred.
A day earlier, a separate attack targeted Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, marking two major terror strikes within 48 hours. Asif said the attacks demonstrated that terrorism had now reached Pakistan’s cities, not just its border regions. “We are in a state of war. Anyone who thinks the Pakistan Army is fighting this war only in the border areas should take the Islamabad suicide attack as a wake-up call,” he wrote on X.
The defence minister also expressed doubts about the success of ongoing peace efforts with the Taliban-led government in Kabul. “The rulers of Kabul can stop terrorism in Pakistan, but bringing this war all the way to Islamabad is a message from Kabul, to which — praise be to God — Pakistan has the full strength to respond,” he said.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply escalated in recent months. In October, Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghan territory, targeting alleged Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Khost and Paktika provinces. The attacks, which killed several civilians, drew strong condemnation from the Afghan Taliban, which accused Islamabad of violating its sovereignty and destabilising the region.
The renewed hostilities mark a dangerous phase in Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign, with the government now openly contemplating deeper military operations beyond its borders. Security experts fear that any escalation could further strain already volatile Pakistan–Afghanistan relations and fuel instability across the region.
