ISLAMABAD (THE THURSDAY TIMES) — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Islamabad no longer has any expectations from Afghanistan’s de facto rulers, describing the Afghan Taliban as a “ragtag group” that has failed to control militants operating from its territory.
Speaking on a private television programme, Asif said it would be “folly” to trust the Afghan Taliban further. He argued that Pakistan had treated Afghanistan with civility and patience for decades, hosting multiple generations of refugees, yet Kabul had not “repaid” that goodwill. His remarks come a day after a suicide bombing at the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar killed three officers and wounded 11 others.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terrorism since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to rein in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other groups using Afghan territory for cross-border attacks. Earlier on Tuesday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the recent suicide attack in Islamabad, which killed 12 people, was plotted by banned TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud. Several militants killed in operations in recent weeks were Afghan nationals, according to security officials.
Tensions between the two neighbours escalated further in October after clashes along the border. Pakistani officials say Taliban fighters, alongside TTP militants, attacked Pakistani posts, killing nearly two dozen soldiers, prompting Pakistan to launch large-scale retaliatory strikes. A ceasefire was later facilitated in Doha by friendly countries, but talks collapsed after Kabul refused to provide a written commitment to act against militant groups wanted by Islamabad.
Asif said regional partners including China, Qatar and Turkiye want stability in the region, and argued that peace would benefit not only Pakistan but all neighbouring states. He added that “the terrorism factory” inside Afghanistan must close and that Afghan citizens should be allowed opportunities to earn livelihoods. He accused the Afghan Taliban of acting against the interests of their own people.
Responding to accusations by Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid that Pakistan carried out strikes in Khost, Kunar and Paktika, Asif dismissed the claims as “baseless”. Afghan officials alleged that at least 10 people were killed in the strikes, which they said involved drones and aircraft.
In a separate statement, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry rejected the Afghan allegations, saying Pakistan had not conducted any attack inside Afghanistan. Chaudhry said Pakistan never targets civilians and that all military responses are carried out openly and within a clear legal and operational framework.
Contrasting Pakistan’s military professionalism with the Taliban, Asif said Afghanistan’s rulers “are a ragtag group with no code of conduct”. He added that Pakistan had shown restraint for years but had now reached its limit. “We are completely writing them off,” he said. “We do not expect anything good from them now.”
