Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the National Assembly on Thursday that Pakistan’s patience is 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 militant 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 10 billion rupees, 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 yesterday, 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.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s accusations
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf told the assembly that India is behind the terrorism Pakistan has been facing.
Ashraf said recent attempts to defame Pakistan under the pretext of incidents in India had resulted in attacks that martyred unarmed civilians.
He paid tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces, especially the Field Marshal, praising the military’s actions and saying the nation is proud of its defenders. Ashraf warned that while political differences exist, the country unites when national security is at stake.
