Asif accuses Taliban of dragging Afghanistan into new conflict to protect power and war economy
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that if necessary, Pakistan could defeat the Taliban regime and set an example to the world.
Commenting on the failure of the Istanbul negotiations, Khawaja Asif said the Afghan Taliban regime had repeatedly sought to negotiate with Pakistan through “brotherly countries”, and Pakistan had accepted the offer in the interest of peace. He added that some “poisonous” statements from Afghan officials suggested growing discord and duplicity within the Taliban leadership. Express News reported.
He said Pakistan did not need to use its full force to dismantle the Taliban or drive them into hiding. “If necessary, we could defeat them in places like Tora Bora and set an example for people around the world,” he said, calling it “a spectacle that the international community would watch with interest.”
He accused the Taliban of dragging Afghanistan into another conflict to preserve their power and war economy.
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during negotiations in Doha, the two sides said on October 19, after a week of violent border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbors since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
Read: Peace negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan at an impasse
The two countries met again in Istanbul on October 25 to resolve “detailed issues.” However, talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul failed to produce any progress on Islamabad’s key demand for a clear action plan to dismantle terrorist infrastructure operating from Afghan soil.
Federal Minister for Information Ataullah Tarar on Tuesday confirmed on his X account on the social media platform that the dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul had failed.
“The dialogue therefore failed to provide a viable solution. We thank the governments of Qatar and Turkey, as well as other friendly states, for their support and sincere efforts to bring a peaceful solution to the problem of terrorism,” the minister wrote.
Learn more: Istanbul talks fail as Taliban refuses to act against terrorist groups
Mr. Asif said Taliban leaders, aware of their weaknesses and the reality behind their warlike demands, are “beating the drum of war” in a failed attempt to salvage their reputation among Afghans. “If the Afghan Taliban remain determined to destroy Afghanistan and its innocent people, so be it – whatever happens, will happen,” he said. He also rejected the idea that Pakistan was an “empire”, saying Islamabad did not view itself in those terms.
The Defense Minister said that Afghanistan, because of the Taliban, was nothing more than a cemetery for its own people. Although historically nicknamed the “graveyard of empires”, he said the country had long served as a theater for great power rivalry. He warned militants seeking to take advantage of regional instability that they had misjudged Pakistan’s resolve.
“If the Taliban regime tries to fight, the world will see that its threats were just bluster,” Mr. Asif said. “Pakistan will not tolerate any terrorist or suicide attacks on its soil, and any adventurism will be met with a firm and bitter response. »
He urged the Taliban to be aware of their plight, warning that testing Pakistan’s resolve and capabilities would prove very costly.
Also read: Explained: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict
According to sources close to the discussions in Istanbul, the Afghan delegation repeatedly demonstrated obstructive behavior and avoided responding directly. Some members reportedly used provocative, dismissive, even insulting language during the meetings, leaving the Turkish and Qatari mediators surprised by their attitude.
Tensions escalate after unprovoked shooting by Afghan Taliban regime
Tensions along the Pak-Afghan border escalated on October 11, when clashes erupted after Afghanistan opened unprovoked fire on several locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, provoking a swift and forceful response from the Pakistani army. Several Afghan posts were destroyed and dozens of Afghan soldiers and militants were killed.
“The Pakistani army reacted immediately and decisively,” security sources said. “The counter-offensive effectively targeted and destroyed several Afghan posts on the border. Dozens of Afghan and Khwarij soldiers were killed in retaliatory fire.”
A 48-hour ceasefire was agreed at the request of the Afghan Taliban regime after Pakistan’s “precision strikes” against the Taliban and terrorist hideouts in Kandahar and Kabul.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision was taken at the request of the Taliban and with the mutual consent of both parties. Both sides should engage in constructive dialogue and make sincere efforts to find a “positive solution to a complex but solvable issue”, the ministry said.
