- Asif says Pakistan ready and proved its abilities in May war.
- May 2025 war exposed India’s strategic weaknesses: Asif.
- TTP and Taliban reportedly linked with India, says minister.
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that the country may not require financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within six months as defence procurement orders continue to rise.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, the minister noted that the world witnessed Pakistan’s resolve and military effectiveness during the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.
“The confrontation severely damaged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s credibility both domestically and internationally,” he said.
Asif noted that during the conflict, India approached the United States and also reached out to China for support, but Pakistan delivered a decisive response. “If India acts aggressively again, we will respond in the same manner,” he said.
He added that India’s confidence was shattered after the May 2025 war, noting: “Our aircraft have been tested, and we are receiving so many orders that Pakistan may not need the IMF in six months.”
Pakistan and India went to war in May after India launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan following the attack on tourists in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
New Delhi maintains that the terrorists who killed 26 tourists in IIOJK’s Pahalgam were Pakistanis — a charge that Islamabad has denied and has also asked India to partake in a neutral investigation.
Pakistan, during the 87-hour conflict, downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones. The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Citing the example of Venezuela, Asif said that the South American country did not possess a large army or advanced weaponry, contrasting it with Pakistan’s globally respected military strength. He highlighted that Pakistan’s armed forces had earned recognition worldwide.
He expressed concerns about the reliability of the Afghan Taliban and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying both groups had links with India. He claimed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government allowed TTP elements to collect extortion funds.
In response to a question, the minister said Russia had some justifications for its Ukraine attacks, but the Venezuelan conflict had no legal or moral basis. Khawaja Asif warned that the global order, fragile as it is, is under threat.
The US attacked Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Maduro in an overnight operation on January 3. Addressing a press conference following the attack, US President Donald Trump had announced: “This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American might and competence in American history.”
Regarding Israel, he questioned whether the United States had been misled or was complicit in Israeli actions. He recalled that in 2012, Israel had claimed Iran could deploy a nuclear bomb in days, and again in 2018 at the UN, Israel made false claims against Iran to justify potential attacks.
He called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the world’s “most wanted criminal” and a “worst perpetrator against humanity.” He urged that if the United States truly stands for human rights, Netanyahu should be brought to trial.
