Asif vows response to any cross-border terror attack after talks fail in Istanbul

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Hours after Pakistan-Afghanistan talks failed in Istanbul, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning to the Afghan Taliban government, saying Pakistan would not tolerate any “treason and taunts” and would give them a “bitter taste”.

In a post on X, the defense minister said Pakistan had engaged in talks at the request of fraternal countries in an effort to give peace a chance, but the “poisonous statements” by some Afghan officials clearly reflected the deviant and expansionist mindset of the Taliban government.

“We have put up with your treachery and taunts for too long, but no more. A terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan will give you a bitter taste of such corruptions. Reassure and test our resolve and capabilities, if you will, at your own peril and doom, if you will.”

Asif added: “Let me assure them that Pakistan does not need to use even a fraction of its total arsenal to completely eliminate the Taliban regime and drive them back into the caves to hide. If they so desire, a repeat of the scenes of their passage with their tails between their legs will certainly be a special one.”

The defense tsar’s statement came hours after Information and Broadcasting Minister Atullah Tarar confirmed on Wednesday morning that four days of talks with the Afghan Taliban in Istanbul had ended without progress, despite Pakistan’s repeated calls for counter-terrorism backed by evidence.

“The dialogue thus failed to produce any workable solution,” Tarar said in an X-post after the four-day meeting ended. He added that Pakistan has long sought cooperation from Kabul against militants targeting the country.

Tarar thanked Qatar, Turkey and other friendly countries for their support and sincere efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to the problem of terrorism.

The defense minister further alleged that the Taliban government has been accused of blindly pushing Afghanistan into another conflict, only to maintain its watchdog rule and the war economy that sustains them.

He added, “Despite being fully aware of their inherent limitations and the abundance of their war cries, they are beating the drums of war to maintain their crumbling facade. If the Afghan Taliban regime is mad to once again destroy Afghanistan and its innocent people, then so be it.”

The defense minister further warned that the Taliban government, “who have shown their interests in continuing instability in the region, should realize that they may have misspoken.” [Pakistan’s] Resolve and Courage. “

Asif added, “If the Taliban regime wants to fight us, the world will see, God willing, that their threats are just a performance circus.”

Islamabad-Kabul tension

Against the backdrop of increasing terror attacks in Pakistan, the two neighboring countries are witnessing heightened tensions amid the Afghan Taliban government’s reluctance to act against terrorist groups operating from its soil.

The tension escalated when Taliban forces and the India-backed Tehreek-e-Talaban Pakistan (TTP), alias Fitnah al-Kharj, resorted to an unprovoked attack on Pakistan on October 12.

Pakistan’s armed forces gave a befitting response to the aggression, killing more than 200 Afghan Taliban and allied militants in self-defense.

The army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said 23 soldiers accepted martyrdom in clashes with Taliban forces and terrorists.

Additionally, security forces also carried out “security strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital Kabul, as well as in the border areas of North and South Waziristan districts, successfully destroying several strongholds in response to the offensive.

The two sides had agreed to a temporary ceasefire during the Doha talks on October 19 and held further meetings to establish permanent mechanisms to ensure peace and stability.