Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday issued a stark warning to the Afghan Taliban, threatening to "obliterate" them and drive them "back to the caves" if another terror attack occurs on Pakistani soil, as relations between the two neighbours plummet following the collapse of peace talks.
Asif's warning, posted on social media, came shortly after a four-day dialogue in Istanbul failed to produce any breakthrough on Pakistan's key demand — that the Taliban take firm action against militants using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan.
'Will push them back into caves'
He said Pakistan had agreed to participate in the talks at the request of "brotherly countries" to give peace a chance, but added that "venomous statements by certain Afghan officials clearly reflect the devious and fractured mindset of the Taliban regime."
"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 said on X.
He said that the warmongers amongst the Taliban regime, who have vested interests in the continuation of instability in the region, should know that they have probably misread Pakistan's resolve and courage.
Asif said if the Taliban regime wants to fight, "the world will INSHAALLAH (God willing) see that their threats are only performative circus!"
"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 rest assured and test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom," he said.
Khawaja Asif on Afghan 'graveyard of empires' narrative
Asif also commented on the popular Afghan narrative that it defeated empires. "As far as the narrative of 'graveyard of empires', Pakistan certainly doesn't claim to be an empire, but Afghanistan is definitely a graveyard, surely for its own people. Never a graveyard of empires but certainly a playground of empires you have been throughout history," he said.
The minister said that the Taliban regime is "blindly pushing Afghanistan into yet another conflict” merely to preserve its "just to retain its usurped rule and maintain the war economy that sustains them".
Asif added that, despite being aware of their "inherent weaknesses and the hollowness of their war cries," the Taliban are "beating the war drums to maintain their crumbling facade." "If the Afghan Taliban regime is madly hell bent upon ruining Afghanistan and its innocent people once again, then so be it," he warned.
Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks collapse in Istanbul
Peace negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have ended without an agreement, Pakistan’s Information Minister announced on Wednesday. He blamed the Taliban government in Kabul for refusing to take action against militants accused of carrying out deadly cross-border attacks.
The talks, held in Istanbul over four days, followed an earlier round in Doha that resulted in a temporary ceasefire on October 19. The ceasefire came after clashes along the border left dozens of people dead, including soldiers, civilians and militants.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of providing shelter to militants linked to a rise in attacks across its border. Kabul, however, denies that Afghan territory is being used to launch assaults against Pakistan.
There was no immediate response from the Afghan authorities to the latest statement from Islamabad.
Minister Tariq Fatemi said Pakistan engaged in the peace process at the request of friendly nations, including Qatar and Turkey. He noted that Islamabad first negotiated in Doha and later in Istanbul, giving the Taliban an opportunity to secure peace.
State media in both countries had earlier reported an impasse, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal.
(With PTI inputs)
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Also Read: Pak-Afghan peace talks deadlocked in Istanbul: Ceasefire at risk amid rising border tensions
