Pakistan Defence Minister Dares Taliban To Test Islamabad’s Resolve At ‘Own Peril And Doom’ | World News

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday issued a stern warning to the Afghan Taliban, stating that they could test Islamabad’s resolve “with their own dangers and disasters”, local media reported. He added that 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, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

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“I assure them that Pakistan does not need to use even a fraction of its entire arsenal to completely destroy the Taliban regime and push them back into the caves to hide. If they want, a repeat of the scenes of debacle in Tora Bora with their tails between their legs will be a must-see spectacle for the people of the region.”

His warning to the Taliban comes amid recent escalation of tensions after Pakistani forces carried out cross-border operations in Afghanistan and talks between delegations of the two countries in Türkiye on Monday collapsed.

Afghanistan also issued a stern warning to Pakistan on Tuesday, pledging a strong response to any future military offensive after talks in Islamabad collapsed following its 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.

While reiterating its commitment to dialogue, Kabul threatened that further cross-border attacks would not be tolerated.

The reports stated that what was intended to be a step towards regional stability instead revealed deep mistrust, divisions and competing agendas, particularly over US drone 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.

Speaking to Ariana News, Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, said any attack would prompt a decisive response that would “serve as a lesson for Pakistan and a message to others.”

“It is true that we do not have nuclear weapons, but neither NATO nor the USA managed to suppress Afghanistan despite 20 years of war. The Afghan nation has never bowed to anyone,” he added.

Despite regional mediation efforts, no results were obtained from the talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which lasted three consecutive days in Istanbul. Mediators admitted that the two countries’ positions remain distant from each other due to differences in expectations and priorities between the two sides.

These differences prevented the officials of the two countries from making any progress during the discussions, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported, citing a Geo News report. The lack of coordination between the two countries has led to concerns that tensions will increase further.