By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif strongly condemned the recent militant attack on a police post in Bannu, describing the incident as deeply tragic and warning that the state would respond firmly to the growing wave of violence confronting the country.
Speaking to Metro Morning at Parliament House, the defence minister said Pakistan would hold accountable those responsible for “every drop of blood” shed in acts of terrorism, signaling that the government and security institutions were prepared to take decisive action against militant networks operating inside the country.
Without referring to specific incidents in detail, Khawaja Asif alleged that external elements were supporting cross-border militancy and facilitating attacks through neighboring territory. His remarks came amid renewed concerns over security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where militant violence has intensified in recent months, particularly targeting police personnel and security forces stationed in vulnerable districts near the Afghan border.
The minister said Pakistan viewed such attacks as part of a broader pattern of proxy warfare aimed at destabilizing the country. Drawing comparisons with past regional confrontations, he suggested that the nature of the current security threat carried similarities to earlier hostilities with India, while warning that comparable dynamics were now emerging in relation to Afghanistan.
Khawaja Asif said the federal government regarded terrorism as a national challenge rather than an issue confined to any single province. He revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had spoken to the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the Bannu attack to express solidarity and support for the victims and the provincial administration.
