ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a sharp warning to the Taliban regime on Wednesday, saying Islamabad would not hesitate to “completely obliterate” Afghanistan’s rulers if provoked, after four days of fruitless peace talks in Istanbul.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Asif said Pakistan joined the Istanbul negotiations “at the request of brotherly countries” to give peace a chance but accused Afghan officials of responding with “venomous statements” that reflected a “devious and splintered mindset” within the Taliban leadership.
“Pakistan does not need to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves,” Asif wrote. “If they wish so, a repeat of the scenes of their rout at Tora Bora would be a spectacle for the region.”
The minister said the Taliban were “blindly pushing Afghanistan into yet another conflict” to preserve their “usurped rule” and sustain a “war economy.” He warned that any terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan would draw a severe response.
“We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more,” Asif said. “Test our resolve and capabilities at your own peril and doom.”
While on the request of brotherly countries who were persistently being beseeched by Taliban Regime, Pakistan indulged in talks to give peace a chance, venomous statements by certain Afghan officials clearly reflect the devious and splintered mindset of Taliban regime.
Let me…— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) October 29, 2025
Referencing Afghanistan’s turbulent history, Asif dismissed the “graveyard of empires” narrative, saying Afghanistan had been “a playground of empires” rather than their graveyard.
Talks end without progress
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the Istanbul talks, mediated by Qatar and Turkey in October 2025, ended without tangible results. He said Pakistan presented “actionable and concrete evidence” of India-backed terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, including Fitna-ul-Khawarij (TTP) and Fitna-ul-Hindustan (BLA).
Tarar said all participants, including the mediators, acknowledged Pakistan’s evidence, but the Afghan delegation “avoided making any actionable assurances.” He accused the Taliban representatives of offering “accusations, evasions, and excuses” that stalled progress.
Islamabad maintains that its central demand — that Afghan soil not be used for attacks against Pakistan — was left unaddressed.
Earlier today, Pakistan had announced the failure of four days talks with Afghanistan in Instanbul.
Pakistan participated in negotiations in Doha and Istanbul in October 2025, with the sole agenda of stopping the use of Afghan soil for terrorism. During the talks, Pakistan presented solid evidence against groups like the TTP and BLA, which are supported by Indian elements. The Afghan Taliban delegation initially accepted Pakistan’s logical demands but later resorted to blame-shifting, evasion, and excuses, leading to no concrete outcome.
