Journalism of Courage
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that the country was in a “state of war” after a suicide blast killed at least 12 people and injured 36 in the federal capital, warning that continued negotiations with the Afghan Taliban were now “futile”.
The explosion struck the Islamabad district courts even as the capital hosted major international events, including the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference and the 6th Margalla Dialogue. A cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was also underway in nearby Rawalpindi.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed the attack on “terrorists active with Indian support,” calling on Kabul to rein in groups operating from Afghan soil. “Lasting peace can only be achieved if Afghanistan stops these groups,” he said, recalling recent cross-border clashes and Pakistan’s “firm and decisive” response.
In a post on X, Asif said the attack should serve as a “wake-up call” to those who believed the war was confined to Pakistan’s remote borderlands.
“This is a war for all of Pakistan,” he wrote. “The Pakistan Army is giving daily sacrifices to make people feel secure. Bringing this war all the way to Islamabad is a message from Kabul — one that Pakistan has full strength to respond to.”
https://twitter.com/RT_India_news/status/1988195284485275725 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe blast comes amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, following a breakdown in peace talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that three top Turkish officials would travel to Islamabad this week to discuss the worsening situation.
Talks between Pakistan and Kabul have faltered since deadly border clashes in mid-October plunged relations to their lowest point since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The hostilities began after an October 11 attack on Pakistani soil from across the Afghan border, which followed Taliban accusations of Pakistani airstrikes, claims Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.
After multiple skirmishes, both sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire on October 15 and held rounds of dialogue in Doha and Istanbul under Turkish and Qatari mediation. However, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar later announced that the October 29 talks “failed to bring about any workable solution.”
Despite the setback, mediators managed to salvage the process, releasing a joint statement on October 31 confirming plans for another principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6 to “discuss and decide further modalities of implementation.”
