Kabul sends clear message by bringing the war to Islamabad: Defence Minister

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Tuesday described the Islamabad suicide attack as a “wake-up call” for the nation, saying the assault carried a message from Kabul.

At least 12 people were martyred and 21 others injured in the suicide blast near the Islamabad District Courts earlier in the day.

In a statement posted on X, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan is in a state of war, and the attack in the federal capital demonstrates that terrorism is not confined to border regions.

“Anyone who believes that Pakistan’s armed forces are fighting this war only in the border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or in the remote regions of Balochistan must now realize that the suicide attack at Islamabad Kacheri is a wake-up call — this is a war for all of Pakistan,” he wrote.

The minister added that the Kabul rulers have the ability to curb terrorist activities inside Pakistan, but bringing the war to Islamabad sends “a clear message from Kabul — one that Pakistan has the full capacity to respond to.”

ھم حالت جنگ میں ھیں کوئ یہ سنجھے کہ پاک فوج یہ جنگ افغان پاکستان سرحدی علاقے میں اور بلوچستان کے دور دراز علاقے میں لڑرہی ھے تو آج اسلام آباد ضلع کچہری میں خود کش حملہ wake up call ھے کہ یہ سارے پاکستان کی جنگ ھے جسمیں پاک فوج روز قربانیاں دے رہی ھے اور عوام کو تحفظ کا احساس دلا…

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 11, 2025

Khawaja Asif also cautioned against expecting successful negotiations with the Afghan Taliban under the prevailing circumstances, saying that peace cannot be achieved while cross-border terrorism continues.

“As our armed forces continue to make sacrifices to ensure public safety, the entire nation must remain united in this fight,” the defence minister said.