India launched a scathing attack on Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif after he questioned the honour conferred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Seychelles. Government sources described the Pakistani minister as "mentally unstable" and accused him of making "silly comments" on issues he barely understands.
The sources said that Asif's alleged mental instability was a "known fact", adding that his appointment as Defence Minister reflected poorly on the country's leadership.
"That he could be entrusted with his current responsibility says much about today's Pakistan. Clearly, he has no day job and passes time by making silly comments on matters of which he has little knowledge. Envy is always a bad motivation, particularly so from someone steeped in hate speech," the sources said.
The attack came after Asif questioned the legitimacy of the "Guardian of the Blue Horizon" Presidential Distinction conferred on Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Seychelles late last month.
The Prime Minister received the newly-instituted honour in recognition of his commitment to environmental conservation and his support for the aspirations of Small Island Developing States.
The distinction made him the first recipient of the award following the Seychelles government's revamp of its national honours system.
Accepting the honour, the Prime Minister thanked the people and government of Seychelles and dedicated the award to nations confronting the growing challenges posed by climate change.
The Indian government's criticism also recalled a similar episode from November 2025, when Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration had publicly rebuked Asif over his reported threat to launch attacks against Afghanistan.
At the time, Noorullah Noori, the Taliban administration's Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, had described Asif as a "mentally ill" person while addressing a public gathering.
"Your history against Bangladesh and India is clear. Our history against Russia, America and Britain is clear. You judge," Noori had said.
Source: India Today