'US should kidnap him': Khawaja Asif wishes Maduro like fate on Israel PM Netanyahu, video goes viral
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently made acerbic remarks against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him “the worst criminal of humanity” during an interview with Pakistani television channel Geo. Asif repeatedly referred to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu and said the US should forcibly bring the Israeli leader to trial.
“Netanyahu should be the biggest wanted criminal now. US should kidnap him (Netanyahu) and start proceedings in some of its court, if it is a friend of humanity,” Asif said in a video clip from the interview that has since gone viral on social media.
Responding to a suggestion by the interviewer, Asif went further to say that Netanyahu could also be abducted and taken to Turkey. “Turkey should then ensure justice on what they (Israel) have done with the Palestinians,” he said. He also added, “Turkey may abduct Netanyahu, and we Pakistanis are praying for it," according to an audio circulating on social media.
The Pakistani minister’s remarks come days after the United States reportedly captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a high-profile operation and put him on trial in New York, a development Asif appeared to cite while calling for action against Netanyahu.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu on November 21, 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The charges include “war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts” committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024.
Meanwhile, Israel has expressed reservations over Pakistan’s possible role in Gaza. On Friday, Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar told NDTV in an interview that Tel Aviv is not comfortable with the idea of Pakistani troops being part of a proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza under a future Trump-led peace plan.
Azar said Israel would prefer to work with countries it trusts and replied with a clear “no” when asked whether Israel would accept the Pakistan Army’s involvement in Gaza, citing concerns over Pakistan’s links with terrorist organisations.
