Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning that the state’s patience has run out, declaring that Khawarij and their facilitators—both inside Pakistan and across the border will now face decisive action. Addressing the National Assembly, the minister said that despite repeated diplomatic efforts, bloodshed from across the Afghan border had not stopped. “The patience of the government and the armed forces is exhausted. Those who provide sanctuaries to killers will be held accountable—whether they hide across the border or within our own soil,” he asserted.
Khawaja Asif’s statement comes amid growing anger in Pakistan over cross-border attacks launched from Afghan territory. He said the message to Kabul was unambiguous: “If Afghanistan continues to allow its soil to be used against Pakistan, it will have to face the consequences. The time for excuses is over.”
Referring to Afghan residents living in Pakistan, he said: “We are paying for our hospitality with our blood. What kind of guests are these who spill their hosts’ blood and protect their killers? The time has come for them to return home and for this betrayal to end.”
The minister also took aim at those within Pakistan who have remained silent or sympathetic to militancy. “Those who fail to condemn terrorism must decide where they stand. Silence in the face of bloodshed is complicity,” he said, urging national unity against the menace of Khawarij.
He further alleged that the founder of a major political party had previously facilitated the resettlement of thousands of Taliban members in Pakistan, adding that the same political group still speaks of dialogue with terrorists while the nation continues to suffer their attacks.
Khawaja Asif said many Afghans who had lived in Pakistan for decades had prospered but repaid that generosity with violence. “They became billionaires on this soil, yet some chose to betray it. The state will no longer tolerate ingratitude disguised as asylum,” he warned.
The defence minister’s remarks underscore what officials describe as a policy shift from restraint to enforcement, signalling a tougher stance against both the Khawarij networks and their local enablers. “This nation has buried too many martyrs,” he said solemnly. “Now, those who shelter, finance, or protect the Khawarij will face the full force of the state.”
In his concluding remarks, Asif said Pakistan’s message to Kabul was clear: “Peace cannot be one-sided. Pakistan has shown patience for years, but no sovereign nation can allow its borders to be violated endlessly. The era of tolerance for aggression is over.”
