Islamabad, Oct 29 Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Afghan Taliban, stating that they can test the resolve of Islamabad at their "own peril and doom", local media reported.
He added that Pakistan does not even need to use "a fraction" of its full arsenal to "completely obliterate" the Taliban and push them back to the caves for hiding, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.
In a statement shared on X, Pakistan's Defence Minister stated, "We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more. Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures. Be assured and test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom."
"Let me assure them that Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding. If they wish so, the repeat of the scenes of their rout at Tora Bora with their tails between the legs would surely be a spectacle to watch for the people of the region," he added.
His warning to Taliban comes amid a recent escalation of tensions after Pakistani forces carried out cross-border operations in Afghanistan and the failure of talks between the delegations of the two countries in Turkey on Monday.
Afghanistan had also issued a stern warning to Pakistan on Tuesday, vowing a strong response to any future military strikes after talks in Islamabad had collapsed following Islamabad's withdrawal.
Citing sources, Afghan media outlet Ariana News reported that Pakistan withdrew from the negotiations after presenting what the Afghan delegation described as "unreasonable and unacceptable" demands, including a call for Kabul to recall and exert control over armed individuals allegedly operating against Pakistan — a demand the Afghan side rejected. It added that if Pakistan launches airstrikes on Afghan soil, Afghan forces stand ready to retaliate against Islamabad.
While reiterating its commitment to dialogue, Kabul threatened that it would not tolerate further cross-border attacks.
Reports cited that what was meant to be a step toward regional stability instead exposed deep mistrust, disunity, and competing agendas, particularly over the issue of US drone operations and cross-border terror.
"The immediate trigger for the collapse appears to have been Pakistan's stunning admission, for the first time publicly, that it has an agreement with the United States permitting drone operations from its territory. Pakistani officials reportedly insisted that this pact cannot be broken, a statement that provoked outrage from the Afghan side, which 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, spokesperson for the Afghan Ministry of Interior, said that any attack would prompt a decisive response “that will serve as a lesson for Pakistan and a message for others.”
“It’s true that we do not possess nuclear weapons, but neither did NATO nor the United States manage to subdue Afghanistan despite 20 years of war. The Afghan nation has never bowed to anyone,” he added.
The talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, held for three consecutive days in Istanbul, failed to yield any breakthrough despite regional mediation efforts. Mediators admitted that the positions of the two nations remained far apart as there were differences between the two sides in expectations and priorities.
These differences stopped officials of the two nations 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 nations has sparked concerns about further escalation.
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