Islamabad (THE THURSDAY TIMES) — Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, declared that Islamabad had engaged in peace talks at the request of allied Islamic nations but is now prepared to resort to overwhelming force if necessary. He criticised certain Afghan officials’ “poisonous statements,” claiming they reveal the fractured and deceptive mindset of the Taliban regime.
Khawaja Asif emphasised that Pakistan would not need to deploy even a fraction of its arsenal to defeat the Taliban government. “If required, the scenes we witnessed at Tora Bora could be repeated—Taliban being pushed back into caves,” he said, describing such an outcome as a spectacle the people of the region might one day witness.
He accused the Taliban of dragging Afghanistan back into conflict in order to cling to their usurped rule and maintain their war economy. Although aware of their limitations and the emptiness of their war-cries, the Taliban are still beating war drums, he claimed.
Asif warned groups that profit from regional instability not to misjudge Pakistan’s resolve. “If the Taliban challenge us,” he said, “the world will, God-willing, see that their threats are nothing more than a performative circus.” He made clear that Pakistan’s patience had been exhausted after years of treachery and mockery, and that any terrorist or suicide attack inside the country would be met with bitter consequences.
On Afghanistan he added: “We do not claim to be an empire, but Afghanistan has certainly proved to be a graveyard for its own people, not for empires.” He warned that although Pakistan keeps its doors open to peace, those who benefit from conflict should be ready for results. “We remain committed to ending violence and establishing lasting regional peace,” Asif said, “but we will show no leniency in responding to any act of aggression.”∎
