Pakistan’s Asif sparks uproar with incendiary Israel remark amid mediation bid

Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X that Israel is “evil and a curse for humanity,” a post since deleted, as Islamabad seeks a bigger diplomatic role in ceasefire talks involving the US, Israel and Iran. His remarks, which also described the Israeli founders as deserving to “burn in hell,” drew condemnation from Israel’s U.S. ambassador and a U.S. envoy and add to a pattern of harsh anti-Israel language from Asif. The episode unfolds as Pakistan hosts and aids talks on the Iran crisis and Lebanon violence, highlighting the challenge of Islamabad’s bid to position itself as a regional mediator amid a widening conflict.