‘Enough Is Enough’: Khawaja Asif Said Pakistan ‘Fed Up Of Terrorism’ Before Kabul Airstrikes

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif appeared to call Afghanistan’s Taliban government ungrateful for all the “help that Islamabad has extended to Kabul” while addressing the Pakistani parliament. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday warned Afghanistan’s Taliban regime of “collateral damage” just hours before Pakistan’s air force carried out strikes in Kabul, targeting figures linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Addressing the National Assembly, Asif, who is often criticised abroad for Islamabad’s long history of sheltering militant groups, said Pakistan was “fed up of terrorism” and that its forces would now “go all out” against militants, regardless of consequences.

“Our political matters — whether related to Karachi, Sialkot, or Peshawar — can wait for another day. Today, our focus should be on how to eliminate this menace of terrorism once and for all,” Asif said.

Declaring the current security situation “intolerable,” the minister warned that anyone providing hideouts to terrorists, whether inside Pakistan or across the border, would face a “befitting response.” “There can be collateral damages in areas where terrorists find shelter and launch attacks against our security forces’ convoys,” he said, adding, “enough is enough.”

Asif also revealed that Islamabad planned to send a delegation to Kabul within days to convey that cross-border terrorism was no longer acceptable. He cautioned both the Taliban government and local facilitators of militants of “severe consequences.”