Pakistan's Defence Minister has criticised Israeli attacks on Qatar, urging Muslim nations to leverage "economic power" against "rogue state" Israel, adding that appeasement towards Tel Aviv is a misguided policy.
"Time for Muslim countries to unite against Israel, a rogue state. Agenda is to comprehensively deal with [the] Muslim world and neutralise whatever economic power they have. Thinking that going soft on Israel will keep them safe is a folly," Asif wrote on X.
Asif highlighted Pakistan's recent successes against India, its nuclear rival, stating that Islamabad, with its resolute government and military forces, confronted a country five times its size.
"Pakistan, an economically vulnerable state but with a resolute government and Alhamdolillah valiant professional armed forces took on India, five times larger, and taught them a lesson," he said.
"No one underwrites security for you. Outside help matters, but invincibility comes from within," he added.
The nuclear-armed neighbours halted their worst fighting in nearly three decades in May after agreeing to a US-announced ceasefire, following four days of tit-for-tat strikes involving hundreds of drones, missiles and fighter jets that killed at least 60 people and forced thousands to flee their homes along their border and in disputed Kashmir.
During the clashes, Pakistan downed at least five Indian jets, including three Rafales, in a battle involving some 30 Pakistani and 70 Indian fighter aircraft.
Initially, India denied any aircraft losses, but later its officials conceded that Pakistan shot down an unspecified number of its fighter jets.
US President Trump has repeatedly mentioned his efforts in brokering the ceasefire.
New Delhi, however, denies Trump’s role in truce, while Islamabad credits the US leader and has nominated him for the Nobel prize.
Qatar calls for ‘retaliation from the whole region’
Earlier, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced Israeli air strikes on Doha, warning that the provocation could imperil regional peace and stability.
"On behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan as well as on my own behalf, I strongly condemn the unlawful and heinous bombing in Doha by Israeli forces, targeting a residential area, and endangering the lives of innocent civilians," Sharif said in a post on X.
"This act of aggression by Israel is totally unjustified, a brazen violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar, and constitutes a most dangerous provocation that could imperil regional peace and stability," he added.
Pakistan, he further said, stands firmly with Qatar, as well as with the people of Palestine against Israel’s aggression.
Qatar’s Prime Minister has meanwhile warned that his country reserves the right to retaliate to Israel’s deadly attack in Doha, calling it a "pivotal moment” for Middle East and seeking “response from the entire region."
"Qatar... reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack," Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told a press conference late on Tuesday, adding Israel used weapons that were not detected by Qatar’s air defence radar.
"We believe that today we have reached a decisive moment. There should be retaliation from the whole region to such barbaric actions," he added.
