ISLAMABAD (THE THURSDAY TIMES) — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has alleged that Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government is harbouring Indian-sponsored terrorist groups, warning that Islamabad will defend its sovereignty and regional security interests against any cross-border threat.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Asif described recent comments from an Afghan government spokesperson as “malicious and baseless,” saying they were designed to deflect attention from Kabul’s “internal turmoil and administrative collapse.” He said there was full unity among Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership on security and foreign policy towards Afghanistan.
“The people of Pakistan, particularly those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are fully aware of the Afghan regime’s support for Indian-backed terrorism,” Asif said, adding that the government in Kabul “cannot hide behind propaganda or blame others for its failures.”
He went on to accuse the Taliban government of “deep internal factionalism” and of oppressing ethnic minorities, women and children while curbing basic rights to education, expression and political participation. “Even after four years in power,” Asif said, “the regime has failed to honour the promises it made to the international community and continues to use rhetoric as a cover for its lack of cohesion and governance.”
The minister said Pakistan’s national security policy remained “clear, unified and rooted in national interest.” He reaffirmed that the country’s strategy aimed to protect citizens from “cross-border terrorism and extremist ideology,” and that Islamabad’s approach was anchored in its pursuit of regional peace and stability.
Asif, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, concluded by saying that no amount of “external pressure or provocation” could weaken Pakistan’s resolve to maintain security along its borders and support peace across the region.
The remarks come amid renewed diplomatic friction between Islamabad and Kabul, as Pakistan blames the Taliban regime for failing to act against militants using Afghan soil to launch attacks on its territory.
