Pakistan Defense Minister Links Regional Terror Groups to Israel in X Repost
[ISLAMABAD] Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stirred controversy this week after reposting a message on X that suggested Israel is connected to extremist violence in Pakistan, days after a deadly suicide bombing hit a Shia mosque in Islamabad and was claimed by the Islamic State’s Khorasan affiliate, known as IS-KP.
On Sunday, Asif reposted the message and added his own line: “Proxies do not attack sponsors; that is where the loyalty lies. Most of the terrorist groups operating in and around our geography have first or second generation Israeli parentage.” The reposted text also asserted: “Every country surrounding Israel has been attacked by ISIS. Not Israel.”
Proxies do not attack sponsors, that is where the loyalty lies. Most of the terrorist groups operating in and around our geography have first or second generation Israeli parentage. https://t.co/B4666Hr0ob
Give the gift of hope
We practice what we preach:
accurate, fearless journalism. But we can't do it alone.
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
DONATEJoin us.
Support The Media Line. Save democracy.
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) February 8, 2026
Asif did not explicitly name Israel in connection with the February 6 attack in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, but analysts said the timing and wording are being read as an insinuation in that direction. Pakistani officials have said the bombing killed at least 31 people and wounded roughly 169, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the capital since the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Saturday that four suspects were arrested overnight, including the alleged mastermind. According to The Associated Press, Naqvi alleged the plot was planned and financed from Afghanistan and claimed Indian support, without providing evidence.
Pakistan has faced a renewed wave of attacks in recent years, with authorities frequently blaming groups operating from across the Afghan border, including IS-KP and factions linked to the Pakistani Taliban. A November 2025 suicide bombing outside Islamabad’s district courts killed 12 people, reinforcing concerns that violence is no longer confined to remote border regions.
The political timing is sensitive. Pakistan does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, yet Islamabad has been invited to join President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, an initiative focused first on Gaza’s postwar framework and regional de-escalation. Observers warned that publicly circulating claims tying Israel to terrorism could complicate Pakistan’s role in such efforts and add friction to an already tense regional landscape.
Neither the Pakistani nor the Israeli government has issued an official response to Asif’s repost.
