Islamabad [Pakistan], October 14 : Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that there are currently "no ties" between Islamabad and Kabul following Afghanistan's unprovoked attack on the Pak-Afghan border over the weekend, Dawn reported.
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath, Asif said, "It's a stalemate right now. You can say there are no active hostilities, but the environment is hostile. There are no ties, direct or indirect, as of today."
The defence minister said that hostilities between the two countries could resume "at any time," adding that "we cannot lower our guard."
When asked about the possibility of negotiations, Asif said that dialogue under threats was not acceptable. "If Afghanistan wants negotiations while threatening Pakistan at the same time, then they should act on their threats and we'll negotiate after," he said.
Asif defended Pakistan's military response, stating, "This is a natural thing. If you are attacked, you instantly have the right to react and target wherever the attack is originating from. We did not target populated areas, we did not target civilians, we targeted their hideouts."
The minister accused Afghanistan of sheltering multiple terrorist organisations. "The world knows that there is a conglomerate of international terrorism in Afghanistan, where ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are active. They are all under Kabul's umbrella," he added, according to Dawn.
Responding to a question about Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud's presence in Afghanistan, Asif said, "Those we targeted, we targeted in their territory. When I went two-and-a-half, three years ago, they said they would relocate these people. He wasn't on the moon; he was in Afghanistan."
He further stressed the need for sincerity in diplomatic efforts. "The offer was there. I think there needs to be honesty in diplomacy it's not there 100 per cent of the time, but if there is some, it would improve the matter and pave the way to resolution," Asif said.
According to Dawn, at least 23 Pakistani troops died and several others were injured after an attack from the Afghan side late on Saturday night, which triggered heavy border clashes. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the fighting began "on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, [after] Afghan Taliban launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border."
The ISPR confirmed that "during overnight skirmishes, 23 brave sons of Pakistan embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while defending the territorial integrity of our beloved country against this outrageous action, while 29 soldiers [were] injured." It added that "more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralised, while the number of injured is much higher."
Providing further details, the ISPR said that 21 hostile positions on the Afghan side of the border were briefly captured, and multiple terrorist training camps used to plan attacks against Pakistan were rendered inoperative. "The infra-structural damages to Taliban posts, camps, headquarters and support networks of terrorists are extensive, all along the border and range from tactical to operational depth," the statement said.
Afghanistan claimed that the attack was a "retaliatory" move, alleging that Pakistan had conducted air strikes earlier in the week. Islamabad, however, has not confirmed the air strikes but maintained that Kabul must "stop harbouring the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on its soil," Dawn reported.
"The armed forces of Pakistan remain ever ready to protect the territorial integrity, life and property of the people of Pakistan. Our resolve to defend Pakistan's territorial integrity and to defeat those who threaten our security is unwavering," the ISPR said.
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