During a session of Pakistan's national assembly, Khawaja Asif, the country's defense minister, reportedly acknowledged the occurrence of targeted violence in the name of religion.

Expressing concern over the daily killings of minorities, Khawaja stated, "Every day, minorities are being killed. They are not safe under the guise of Islam. I want to address the issue of minority safety, but the opposition is blocking my efforts. Pakistan is facing global embarrassment."