“How Can We Shake Hands With Those Whose Hands Are Stained With Our Blood?” — Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD (Muhammad Saleem ) — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday rejected calls for immediate dialogue with Afghanistan, asking rhetorically how Islamabad could negotiate “with those whose hands are stained with our blood,” in remarks reflecting deep public anger after recent deadly border clashes.

Asif’s comments came amid one of the sharpest escalations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier in years, in which both sides have reported military and civilian casualties. Pakistani officials have accused elements operating from Afghan territory of sheltering militants who carried out attacks inside Pakistan — charges Afghan authorities deny as they, too, report losses.

The minister warned that Pakistan reserves the right to respond to cross-border militant attacks and stressed that Islamabad would not show “leniency” toward those responsible, remarks that underline the domestic pressure on government and security leaders to take a hard line.

Diplomats and regional mediators have urged restraint and pushed for talks to prevent further escalation; however, Asif’s statement signals the political difficulty of shifting public sentiment toward negotiation while investigations into recent incidents continue.