Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif issued a strong warning to Afghanistan on Wednesday, saying any new “terrorist or suicide attack” on Pakistani soil would trigger a decisive response. His remarks came hours after peace talks between the two neighbors in Istanbul ended without progress.
Rising Tensions After Border Clashes
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s military launched air and artillery strikes on what it said were militant hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Afghanistan, killing dozens of insurgents. Kabul, however, claimed that civilians were among the dead and retaliated by targeting Pakistani posts, reportedly killing 58 soldiers. Pakistan confirmed the deaths of 23 soldiers in the clashes.
The violence prompted a ceasefire on October 19, brokered by Qatar and other mediators. However, the four-day Istanbul negotiations that followed failed to produce a lasting agreement.
Pakistan’s Tough Message to Kabul
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Asif warned the Taliban-led Afghan government that “any terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures.”
He further accused Kabul of “pushing Afghanistan into another conflict” and warned that Pakistan could “obliterate the Taliban regime” without deploying even a fraction of its military strength.
Afghanistan Rejects Pakistan’s Demands
Afghanistan’s state broadcaster RTA reported that talks collapsed due to Pakistan’s “irrational demands,” including guarantees that Afghan territory would not be used by militants to attack Pakistan. The Taliban delegation maintained that the TTP issue was an “internal matter” for Islamabad.
Ceasefire Holds, But Border Tensions Remain
Despite the failed negotiations, the ceasefire between the two sides remains intact, with no new fighting reported along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Major border crossings, however, remain closed, leaving hundreds of trucks and refugees stranded.
At the Chaman border crossing, Afghan refugees expressed fear and uncertainty. “The talks failed, and we don’t know how we will survive back home,” said Ajab Khan, one of many waiting to return to Afghanistan.
