Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Islamabad may launch strikes inside Afghanistan after deadly militant attacks in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Islamabad cannot rule out strikes on militant hideouts inside Afghanistan after recent attacks in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, Asif said the country had been forced to act against those responsible for the deadly incidents that have raised security concerns nationwide.
He added that Pakistan should not “harbour any illusions” about the Taliban’s stance, stressing that the group was neither sympathetic to Pakistan nor interested in peace, despite three rounds of talks.
Asif further claimed that the Taliban administration consisted of various factions, some of which were connected to India and influenced by actors outside Afghanistan.
He noted that Pakistan’s only demand from the Taliban was to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.
The Taliban’s deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Naeem, meanwhile said talks failed because of “unrealistic demands” from the Pakistani delegation.
The remarks highlight growing distrust between Islamabad and Kabul, as cross-border militant attacks strain relations between the two neighbours.
Analysts say Pakistan’s warnings could signal a shift towards a more aggressive policy if the Taliban fail to curb anti-Pakistan militant groups operating from Afghanistan territory.
Khawaja Asif’s stark warning drops like a border bomb—Pakistan eyeing strikes on Afghan militant lairs amid deadly attacks in Islamabad and KP, slamming Taliban factions as India-tied peace dodgers after failed talks. Naeem’s “unrealistic demands” clapback? Classic finger-pointing. Distrust boiling over; could this ignite a hotter proxy war in the shadows? Eyes on Kabul’s next move—tensions thicker than the Durand Line!