'Don't go back like this': Pakistan minister's gesture to Afghan journalist sparks outrage

New York: Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has faced criticism on social media after making a gesture across his throat while responding to an Afghan woman journalist who questioned him about Pakistan's ties with the Taliban and its position on the treatment of Afghan women.

The incident took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The journalist asked Asif about Pakistan's message to the Taliban over their policies towards Afghan women and why Islamabad had not challenged those policies when the Taliban were considered allies.

"What's your message to the Taliban now? To change their policy towards Afghan women? Why at the beginning, Pakistan didn't teach them that," the journalist asked, according to a video of the exchange circulating on social media.

Asif interrupted her, did not directly answer the question and pointed towards her attire before making a gesture across his neck.

"Don't go back like this over there. They will... otherwise they will..," he said, moving his hand across his throat.

The gesture drew criticism on social media, with users interpreting it as an implied threat that the journalist could be killed if she returned to Afghanistan.

Several users also criticised Asif and the men accompanying him for laughing after the exchange.

The journalist had raised questions about the Taliban's policies towards Afghan women and Pakistan's stance on those policies, prompting criticism of what users described as a threatening response to a serious question.

Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions

The incident comes amid continuing hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad carrying out military strikes across the border.

Pakistan conducted what it described as precision aerial and drone strikes at 10 locations in Afghanistan early on Thursday, Dawn reported, citing Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

According to Dawn, Tarar said in a post on X that the strikes were launched in response to drones allegedly sent from Afghanistan a day earlier. He said the targets were locations allegedly used to launch and store the drones.

He described the strikes as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan".

Afghanistan warned Pakistan of "dire consequences", describing the strikes as aggression.

"In this criminal aggression, four of our fellow Afghan compatriots have been martyred. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns these blind and cowardly attacks in the harshest terms, considering them a flagrant violation of all principles, a blatant aggression, and a crime," Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Cross-border hostilities between the two neighbouring countries have continued, with Pakistan resorting to military action, including aerial strikes.