Khawaja Asif, the Defense Minister of Pakistan, deleted his post on the social media platform X, in which he had described Israel as a “curse and a plague for humanity,” following widespread reactions.
These remarks were met with protests from Israeli officials, who stated that such positions could call into question Pakistan’s role as a mediator between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In his deleted post, the Pakistani Defense Minister had claimed that while peace talks were taking place in Islamabad, a “genocide” was occurring in Lebanon, with civilians being killed by Israel.
He also referred to the spread of violence, stating that after Gaza and Iran, Lebanon was now witnessing the continuation of violence, and this trend was ongoing.
In another part of his remarks, Khawaja Asif spoke harshly about the policies of the Israeli government, using provocative and controversial language that sparked significant reactions.
In response, the office of the Israeli Prime Minister issued a statement declaring that such remarks from any country were unacceptable, especially from a country that claims to play a neutral role in peace processes.
