Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif asserted that the nation is ‘fully prepared’ to tackle a two-front conflict, addressing threats on both its eastern and western borders. Speaking at a public gathering, he emphasized that Pakistan is prepared to confront India in the east and the Taliban along the western frontier. Asif added that divine support helped in the first round of challenges and expressed confidence that it would continue to guide Pakistan through the second.
Khawaja Asif’s Warning
Following a suicide blast in Islamabad that claimed 12 lives and left 36 injured, the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) took responsibility for the attack. Khawaja Asif stated that the Afghan Taliban were sending a message through this incident.
While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed groups ‘active with Indian support.’ He also downplayed the Delhi Red Fort blast, calling it a ‘gas cylinder explosion’ and warning India against politicising it.
Indian officials dismissed his statements as attempts to divert attention, noting the Delhi blast involved military-grade explosives.
