Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said terrorism, whether in Pahalgam, Delhi, or Kabul, is not in Pakistan’s interest, stressing that Islamabad desires peace with all neighbouring countries, including India and Afghanistan.

Speaking on Aaj News programme “News Insight with Aamir Zia,” Asif said Pakistan does not want war with any country and is gradually addressing its economic challenges.

“Pakistan will not initiate any military adventure,” he said, adding that the government will use all diplomatic options to maintain peace in the region.

However, the minister warned that Pakistan would respond firmly if attacked.

“If there is an assault on us, we will respond in the same manner. India may try to create a pretext or stage an incident to justify aggression,” he said, noting that the armed forces have been on high alert since Operation Bunyan al-Marsous.

He disclosed that the Afghan Taliban had requested a loan of Rs10 billion from Pakistan.

“Had they guaranteed there would be no cross-border terrorism, we would have given them the money,” he said, describing the Afghan Taliban as unreliable.

“Those who invested in the Afghan Taliban miscalculated,” he said.

Asif added that indications suggest Iran, Turkey, and Qatar are interested in pursuing another peace initiative between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Expressing regret over his past social media remarks, the minister said, “It was a misjudgment to praise a group that proved untrustworthy. Their appearance may be Islamic, but beyond that, I will say nothing more.”

Criticises judges

Separately, without naming anyone, Asif criticised judges who wrote letters to the Chief Justice expressing concerns over the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment and judicial independence.

In a post on X, he questioned whether the authors remembered the judiciary’s own history.

“From Justice Munir to Justice Naseem Hassan Shah and Justice Irshad Hassan Khan — and even the Panama case judges — they all committed judicial crimes. Have the letter writers forgotten their institution’s past, or are they suffering from selective amnesia?” he wrote.

Asif said the judiciary not only sentenced former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to death but had repeatedly violated the Constitution.

“Those demanding justice should first look into their own conduct before writing letters,” he added.

It may be noted that two Supreme Court judges recently wrote separate letters to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi expressing concerns about the proposed 27th Amendment and its possible implications for judicial independence.