RASC News Agency: Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has issued one of his strongest warnings yet to the Taliban authorities in Kabul, accusing the group of failing to curb cross-border terrorism and warning that Islamabad will be “left with no choice but to respond decisively” if attacks from Afghanistani soil continue.
In an interview with a prominent Pakistani television program, Asif said the ongoing assaults on Pakistan’s border security forces by militants operating from within Afghanistan are “utterly intolerable.” He stressed that such acts directly violate all previous security understandings between the two sides. “If these hostile operations persist,” he said, “every political and security agreement with the Taliban regime will be rendered meaningless.”
The defense minister underscored that the primary responsibility for ensuring peace along the Durand Line rests with the Taliban, whose inability or unwillingness to restrain militant networks has resulted in escalating instability in the border belt. “If the Taliban truly desire stable and long-term relations with Pakistan,” he added, “they must demonstrate their sincerity by taking firm, visible action against terrorist elements sheltering in Afghanistan.”
Adopting a resolute tone, Asif declared that Islamabad will no longer tolerate the operations of terror outfits such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), both of which, according to Pakistani intelligence, continue to use Afghanistan as a staging ground for attacks. He cautioned that any repetition of such incidents will trigger swift and forceful military retaliation from Pakistan.
Revealing details from recent Istanbul negotiations, Asif disclosed that the Taliban delegation had demanded 10 billion Pakistani rupees in exchange for relocating TTP militants away from the frontier, but had failed to provide any credible guarantee that the group’s attacks would cease. “Pakistan remains open to dialogue and cooperation,” Asif said, “but the Taliban have yet to present a single verifiable assurance of their commitment.”
He confirmed that the next round of talks between the two delegations is scheduled for November 6, during which a new mechanism for border management, counter-infiltration, and a monitored ceasefire framework will be discussed.
In a striking remark underscoring Islamabad’s lack of confidence in the Taliban’s credibility, Asif stated: “I do not trust the Taliban. If Turkey or Qatar provide a guarantee, we can consider it but the Taliban’s word alone carries no weight.”
He further clarified that Pakistan’s security policy toward the Taliban is shaped by a unified national stance, emphasizing that “there are no internal divisions within Islamabad regarding how to deal with this issue. The civil and military leaderships are fully aligned.”
Turning briefly to tensions with India, Asif accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inflaming hostilities with Pakistan to bolster his domestic standing amid political stagnation. “Any aggression from India,” Asif warned, “will be met with an immediate and uncompromising response.”
The minister’s sharp remarks came only a day after talks between Pakistan and Taliban officials in Istanbul collapsed without an agreement. Both sides blamed each other for making “unreasonable demands.” The breakdown has reignited fears of renewed border clashes and further deterioration in bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, in a rare response to Islamabad’s accusations, attempted to project defiance, saying that while “Afghanistan’s people may be divided internally, they will remain united against any foreign aggression.”
However, regional observers dismiss Haqqani’s statement as rhetoric aimed at masking deep fractures within the Taliban movement. Analysts believe that the Taliban leadership lacks both the capacity and the will to expel TTP militants from Afghanistani territory. Thousands of Taliban fighters and many senior commanders maintain close ideological and familial ties with the TTP, making any such operation politically perilous. Experts warn that a serious attempt to remove TTP militants could trigger an internal rebellion or even fracture the Taliban’s fragile structure, undermining their already weakening control.
In essence, Pakistan’s frustration reflects a broader regional consensus: the Taliban regime, while desperate for legitimacy, continues to shelter extremist networks that destabilize neighboring countries. As Islamabad signals its growing impatience, Kabul’s rulers once again find themselves cornered isolated diplomatically, distrusted regionally, and haunted by the militants they once called brothers.
