Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the country would “pay back in the same coins” if targeted again, after a deadly suicide attack in Islamabad killed 12 people. Asif accused Indian-backed Afghan proxies of orchestrating the blast, saying Pakistan wants peace but will defend itself with full force.
Islamabad | November 12, 2025 — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has issued a stern warning that Pakistan will “pay back in the same coins” if targeted by its enemies, following a devastating suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed 12 people and injured more than 30 others.
The explosion ripped through the entrance of a court complex in the G-11 sector of the capital city on Tuesday afternoon, an area teeming with lawyers and litigants. The attacker detonated explosives near a police vehicle after being stopped at the security gate.
Authorities swiftly blamed the banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which Islamabad identifies as the Indian backed Afghan proxy network Fitna al-Khawarij for carrying out the deadly assault.
‘We Will Respond in the Same Language,’ Says Defence Minister
Speaking to Geo News, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made it clear that while Pakistan did not desire conflict with any of its neighbours, it would no longer turn the other cheek if its sovereignty was violated.
“Pakistan is not interested in fighting with India or Afghanistan,” Asif said. “But if anyone targets Pakistan, we will pay back in the same coins. We have the capacity, and we will take care of them.”
He added that intelligence reports indicated that the militants behind the attack were in communication with handlers in Afghanistan.
“Security is telling us that the terrorists in Wana and Islamabad were in contact with Afghans,” he said. “Condemning an attack or expressing regret cannot be taken as a proof of truth. We know where they are operating from.”
Twin Terror Strikes: Islamabad and Wana
The Islamabad blast came only hours after militants launched a separate attack on a cadet college in Wana, South Waziristan a region that has frequently seen cross-border infiltration. According to security sources, all the attackers in Wana were killed after a swift military operation.
Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar condemned both attacks and confirmed that those responsible for orchestrating the suicide bombing “will be identified and brought to justice.”
“Pakistan will not tolerate any foreign-sponsored terror networks operating from Afghan soil,” Tarar said.
Blame on Afghan Sanctuary, Indian Support
Islamabad has long accused Afghanistan of providing safe havens for TTP militants and facilitating cross border attacks. Pakistani officials maintain that the group operates with financial and logistical backing from India’s RAW, which seeks to destabilize Pakistan through its Afghan proxies.
While both Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegations, Pakistan’s security institutions say intelligence intercepts and recovered communication data from the attackers link them to networks across the border.
“These are Indian-funded militants using Afghan sanctuaries to strike Pakistan,” a senior intelligence official told reporters. “It is a hybrid war, not an ideological one.”
The Defence Minister reiterated that Pakistan had shown maximum restraint but that the situation was reaching a “breaking point.”
Strained Pakistan–Afghanistan Relations
The recent wave of militant attacks has further strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Border clashes erupted last month at the Torkham and Chaman crossings after Pakistan accused the Taliban regime of sheltering Fitna al-Khawarij (TTP) commanders responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
Talks mediated by Qatar and Türkiye failed to produce concrete outcomes, with Pakistan demanding the immediate expulsion of militant leadership from Afghan territory.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned both the Wana and Islamabad attacks, but Islamabad dismissed Kabul’s statement as “symbolic and insincere.”
“Empty condemnation cannot replace action,” Khawaja Asif remarked. “Pakistan has suffered enough from terrorism exported across the Durand Line.”
‘Focus on Defence and Economy’
Despite his strong words, the Defence Minister stressed that Pakistan’s main priority remained economic recovery and internal stability.
“We don’t want war, we want development,” Asif said. “But peace cannot come at the cost of our sovereignty. We will defend Pakistan’s borders, our people, and our dignity.”
He assured that Pakistan’s armed forces and intelligence agencies were fully prepared to neutralize any threats from the TTP or its foreign backers.
Meanwhile, nationwide security has been tightened, with high alerts issued for Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Peshawar, and major court complexes across the country placed under special protection.
Conclusion
Tuesday’s attack has once again brought Pakistan’s war against terrorism to the forefront exposing the dangers of foreign-backed militant networks operating from Afghanistan.
With Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s latest statement, Islamabad has drawn a clear red line: while Pakistan seeks peace, it will respond firmly to any cross-border aggression or proxy assault on its soil.
As the Defence Minister declared, “We have the capacity. If they bring war to our borders, we will take the fight to theirs.”
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