ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned the Afghan Taliban that any aggression toward Pakistan will be met with a firm response, saying the Taliban have “misjudged Pakistan’s strength and resolve” and that it would take only a “fraction of force” to dismantle their rule and send them “back to the caves.”
His remarks came after peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul collapsed, deepening tensions between the two neighbors. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Asif said, “We endured your betrayal and mockery, but not anymore. If you wish to test our resolve, do so at your own peril.”
The defence minister cautioned that any terrorist attack inside Pakistan would invite a severe reaction. “We will make them taste the bitterness of their own adventurism,” he wrote.
Asif said Pakistan participated in the Istanbul talks at the request of “brotherly countries” to give peace a chance, but claimed that “some Afghan officials’ venomous statements reveal the deceitful and divisive mindset of the Taliban government.”
He added that Pakistan would need only minimal force to dismantle the Taliban regime. “If they wish, they can once again witness their flight from Tora Bora — a scene the region will not forget,” Asif remarked.
The minister accused the Taliban of dragging Afghanistan toward another cycle of destruction in a desperate attempt to preserve their rule. “Those beating the war drums in Kabul should understand that their slogans are hollow, and the world sees through them,” he said.
Referring to the Taliban’s claim that Afghanistan is the “graveyard of empires,” Asif said, “Pakistan is not an empire, and Afghanistan has never been one — it is, in fact, a graveyard for its own people.”
Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the recent round of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Istanbul ended without progress. The breakdown followed weeks of escalating border tensions, cross-border attacks, and mutual accusations.
Pakistani officials said the talks collapsed due to the Taliban’s “lack of seriousness” in addressing terrorism concerns and their refusal to provide written assurances that Afghan soil would not be used for attacks against Pakistan.
Diplomatic sources in Islamabad said mediators from Turkey and Qatar managed to briefly revive discussions, but deep internal divisions within the Taliban — between factions based in Kandahar, Kabul, and Khost — prevented any agreement.
Both mediators have warned that the collapse of the Istanbul dialogue could trigger another wave of violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
