Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stern warning to the Afghan government on Wednesday, declaring that Pakistan will not hesitate to respond militarily — even by entering Afghanistan — if Afghan soil is used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan’s patience was running out as Kabul has adopted a path of resistance despite repeated diplomatic efforts to resolve differences.
“If Afghan soil is used for terrorism, we will respond,” Asif said. “If the border is violated, we will also attack. And if we have to respond by going inside Afghanistan, we will do that.”
'Mediators have realised Kabul’s intentions,' says Asif
The defense minister revealed that the recent negotiations with Afghanistan were concluded Tuesday evening, but the talks failed to yield any progress due to Kabul’s reluctance to formalize commitments in writing.
“It has now become clear to the mediators what Kabul’s intentions are,” Asif said. “Afghanistan accepts everything verbally but is not ready to give anything in writing.”
He added, “Now there is no medicine left — only prayers can be offered,” indicating Pakistan’s frustration with the deadlock in dialogue.
Kabul’s resistance, Taliban’s conduct
Asif accused the Afghan Taliban of pushing Afghanistan back into the past, saying their governance style “does not meet the definition of a modern state.”
“The Taliban are people who kill and kill — they are reaping financial benefits,” Asif remarked. “They are not used to the identity of a state, nor do they understand it.”
Also Read: Pakistan doesn’t need full arsenal to obliterate Taliban regime, warns Asif
He said there was “no one in the Kabul government who can explain what a state actually means,” adding that the Taliban’s rigid stance had made meaningful negotiations nearly impossible.
'Taliban playing into India’s hands,'
In one of his strongest statements yet, Asif accused the Afghan Taliban of completely playing into India’s hands, asserting that their alignment with Indian interests was one of the key reasons behind the failure of the recent Istanbul peace talks.
“The Taliban are completely playing into India’s hands,” he said. “Because of this, the Istanbul talks could not prove fruitful.”
Asif added that Kabul’s non-cooperation was undermining peace and security in the region and warned that Pakistan would not tolerate continued inaction on cross-border militant attacks.
Pakistan’s message: Dialogue preferred
The defense minister reiterated that while Pakistan continues to advocate dialogue and diplomacy as preferred means of resolving disputes, it would not shy away from decisive action to protect its sovereignty.
“If Kabul has chosen the path of resistance, then so be it,” Asif said. “Pakistan will defend itself, and we will respond to any violation in kind.”
Also Read: Naqvi vows to resolve differences with Kabul through dialogue
Earlier today, the defense minister had issued a blunt warning after four days of fruitless talks in Istanbul, saying Islamabad does not need to use “even a fraction” of its full arsenal to “completely obliterate” the Taliban regime if provoked.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Khawaja Asif said Pakistan entered the Istanbul talks “on the request of brotherly countries” to give peace a chance. But he accused Afghan officials of responding with “venomous statements” that, he said, reveal a “devious and splintered mindset” within the Taliban regime.
Asif’s central message was direct: Pakistan’s military capability is overwhelming and its restraint is deliberate, not a sign of weakness. “Let me assure them that Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime,” he wrote.
