Stern warning to Taliban: Defence minster vows strong response to any cross-border attack

Islamabad (Web Desk): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday cautioned the Afghan Taliban that Pakistan is fully prepared to exercise its complete military strength if the situation compels it, while emphasizing that the use of force would not be indiscriminate.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), he confirmed that peace talks held in Istanbul with the Taliban had collapsed, describing their recent remarks as “poisonous” and indicative of internal divisions and hypocrisy within the group. 

While on the request of brotherly countries who were persistently being beseeched by Taliban Regime, Pakistan indulged in talks to give peace a chance, venomous statements by certain Afghan officials clearly reflect the devious and splintered mindset of Taliban regime.
Let me…

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) October 29, 2025

Asif said Pakistan only agreed to the negotiations at the urging of friendly nations but accused the Taliban of seeking to protect their power and sustain their war-driven economy by steering Afghanistan toward renewed instability. He warned that Pakistan could, if necessary, deliver decisive blows to Taliban strongholds — invoking Tora Bora as an example — and set an international precedent through such an operation.

The minister asserted that Pakistan would not permit any terrorist or suicide assaults originating from its territory and promised a strong retaliation against any Taliban aggression.

Concluding his remarks, he urged the Taliban not to underestimate Pakistan’s determination or capabilities, cautioning that any misjudgment would come at a heavy cost.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said that the latest round of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Turkiye failed to produce any workable solution.

In a post on his X handle, the minister expressed regret that the Afghan Taliban engaged in blame-shifting, deflection, and evasive tactics instead of acknowledging responsibility.

The information minister stated that the Afghan Taliban delegation had repeatedly agreed to Pakistan’s legitimate and reasonable demand for credible and decisive action against terrorist organizations.

Tarar said Pakistan had presented sufficient and irrefutable evidence during the discussions, which was acknowledged by both the Afghan delegation and the hosts.

However, he added, the Afghan side failed to provide any assurances and continued to deviate from the main issue, avoiding the core point on which the dialogue process was initiated.