ISLAMABAD: Pakistan must shed its “soft state” image and establish itself as a strong, law-enforcing “hard state,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday, following a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The meeting, attended by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, senior military leadership, and the chief ministers of all provinces, reviewed the internal security situation, including the recent unrest in Punjab linked to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif praised the Punjab government for effectively handling the violent demonstrations under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying the province’s decisive action set an example for others to follow.
“The way Punjab’s administration, under Maryam Nawaz’s leadership, controlled the situation is commendable,” Asif said, emphasizing that all provinces should adopt similar resolve in dealing with extremist groups and lawless elements.
He noted that the Punjab government took a “decisive stance” against TLP rioters and that this approach should form the foundation of a broader national counter-extremism framework.
“As a nation, we must end the image of a ‘soft state.’ Pakistan should now emerge as a ‘hard state’ governed by the Constitution and rule of law — Punjab has taken the first step,” Asif stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
آج وزیر اعظمُ شہباز شریف کی صدارت میں اجلاس ھوا جسمیں فیلڈ مارشل عاصم منیر اور عسکری قیادت ، صوبائی وزیر اعلی ، گلگت بلتستان و آزاد کشمیر کے وزیر اعلی موجود تھے۔ پنجاب میں TLP کے بلوے اور لا قانونیت سے جسطرح وزیر اعلی مریم نواز کی قیادت میں انتظامیہ نے ھینڈل کیا ھے وہ قابل تعریف…
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) October 17, 2025
The defence minister added that discussions in the meeting reflected complete trust and clarity among the civil and military leadership on tackling terrorism and other national security challenges.
Also Read: Pakistan won’t tolerate Afghan-based terrorism or refugee burden: Khawaja Asif
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif detailed Pakistan’s extensive diplomatic and security efforts to engage with the Afghan Taliban regime since its formation, saying the country had exhausted all avenues of cooperation without receiving a positive response from Kabul.
Khawaja Asif revealed that since 2021, the Foreign Minister visited Kabul four times, the Defence Minister and ISI officials twice, the Special Envoy five times, and the Foreign Secretary also made five visits. The National Security Adviser visited once, while the Joint Coordination Committee between Pakistan and Afghanistan met eight times.
Defence Minister said that Pakistan conducted 225 border flag meetings and issued 836 protest notes to the Afghan authorities, along with 13 formal demarches to Kabul.