Haqqani Warns Pakistan, Says Any Act Of Aggression Against Afghanistan Will Be ‘Big Mistake’ | World News

As relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to deteriorate, Afghan Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani delivered an impassioned speech in Kabul on Thursday, warning Islamabad that it would not tolerate any act of aggression by Kabul.

In his statement after the last round of talks between the two countries in Istanbul earlier this week did not yield any results, Haqqani said, “The people of Afghanistan may have internal problems, but they stand united against any foreign invader. The defense of our lands is among our top priorities.” he said.

The statement also came less than 24 hours after Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning to the Afghan Taliban, saying they could test Islamabad’s resolve “at their own peril and disaster.” Asif said Pakistan did not even need to use “a fraction” of its entire arsenal to “completely destroy” the Taliban and push them back into caves to hide.

Commenting on the negotiations and the possible new round of negotiations, Haqqani said, “The doors of understanding and dialogue remain open. We are not seeking conflict with anyone. However, everyone who commits aggression should know that we have stood against the world emperors and it is not difficult for us to defend our own lands.”

Pakistan has emphasized that acting against the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) and preventing the group’s fighters from defecting to Afghanistan remain important conditions for any agreement.

However, on Thursday, Haqqani said the issue was Pakistan’s internal issue.

“We have raised this issue with Pakistan in many meetings and through various channels and asked them to solve your internal problem in your own country,” he said.

Haqqani warned, “If you carry this problem to Afghanistan tomorrow, you will create unrest here. Other hostilities will follow. This mistake will eventually be yours and the cost will be very high.”

“Even though we do not have long-range missiles and advanced weapons, our resolve and resolve remain. We can overcome any circumstances and achieve victory,” he emphasized.

The senior Taliban leader made clear that any offensive action that harmed Afghanistan would be a “big mistake”.

Earlier this week, Afghanistan issued a stern warning to Pakistan, pledging a strong response to any future military offensive after talks collapsed following Islamabad’s withdrawal.

Afghan media outlet Ariana News, quoting sources, reported that Pakistan withdrew from the talks after the Afghan delegation presented what it described as “unreasonable and unacceptable” demands, including a call for Kabul to recall and exercise control over gunmen allegedly operating against Pakistan. This request was rejected by the Afghan side. It was stated that Afghan forces are ready to retaliate against Islamabad if Pakistan launches an air strike on Afghan territory.

Reports stated that the Istanbul talks revealed deep distrust, disagreement and conflicting agendas, especially on the issues of US unmanned aerial vehicle operations and cross-border terrorism.

“The direct trigger for the collapse was Pakistan’s first public admission that it had an agreement with the US allowing drone operations from its territory. Pakistani officials reportedly insisted that this agreement could not be broken, a statement that sparked anger from the Afghan side and demanded assurances that Pakistan would not allow US drones to violate Afghan airspace,” leading Indian news network NDTV reported.