Pakistan 'won't hesitate' to conduct new strikes on Afghanistan, Khawaja Asif says
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Home Defence minister says war with India remains 'a possibility' as New Delhi, Kabul align on striking Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said Pakistan would not hesitate to conduct more air strikes in Afghanistan if no action was taken by Kabul against militants on its soil to ensure peace. The federal government has been consistently raising its voice on international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and using its soil to launch attacks on Pakistan — a development attested to by the United Nations Security Council. Recently, a suicide bomber struck the Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers in Islamabad, killing 36 people and injuring around 169 others. The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad in more than a decade and the deadliest nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023. Immediately following the blast, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, resulting in the arrest of four facilitators. The Daesh-linked mastermind, an Afghan national, was also captured. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that the network behind the blast was trained in Afghanistan and that authorities had gathered intelligence on the suspects prior to the attack.
Published: February 18, 2026 5:03 pm
Source: The Express Tribune — Read original