Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the country was “in a state of war”, adding that today’s attack should be taken as a “wake-up call”.

“In this environment, it would be futile to hold out greater hope for successful negotiations with the rulers of Kabul,” he said on X.

“The rulers of Kabul can stop terrorism in Pakistan, but bringing this war all the way to Islamabad is a message from Kabul, to which – praise be to God – Pakistan has the full strength to respond.”