‘Will push them back to the caves’: Pakistan’s Defence Minister threatens military action against Taliban

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday issued a strong warning to the Taliban regime, saying that Pakistan could strike “deep into Afghanistan” and “push them back to the caves” if another militant attack takes place on its soil, Dawn reported.

The statement came after peace talks between the two sides collapsed in Turkey and border tensions escalated. The four-day negotiations in Istanbul between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban ended without progress.

The talks were mediated by Turkey and Qatar after deadly border clashes and a temporary ceasefire that started on October 19.

Why did the talks collapse?

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in a pre-dawn statement, said that the latest round of discussions in Turkiye, which aimed to address cross-border terrorism originating from Afghan territory, “failed to bring about any workable solution”.

What did Khawaja Asif say?

Speaking to reporters at Parliament House, Asif said Pakistan would not hesitate to launch strikes if provoked. “We will conduct strikes, we definitely will,” he said, when asked what options Pakistan had in case of further cross-border conflict with Afghanistan.

He added, “If their territory is used and they violate our territory, then, if we need to go deep into Afghanistan to retaliate, we surely will.”

The minister explained that Pakistan had entered peace talks to give diplomacy a chance at the request of “brotherly countries” who were appealing to both sides. However, he criticised “venomous statements by certain Afghan officials”, saying they “clearly reflect the devious and splintered mindset of the Taliban regime”.

What was his message to the Taliban?

Asif warned that Pakistan was capable of defeating the Taliban militarily if needed.

“Let me assure them that Pakistan does not require employing even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” he said.

He went on to add, “If they wish so, the repeat of the scenes of their rout at Tora Bora, with their tails between the legs, would surely be a spectacle to watch for the people of the region.”

The defence minister said Afghanistan neither “fulfils the definition of a state” nor was its interim administration considered as such. “They are benefiting financially by being the rulers,” he said.

When asked whether the Afghan Taliban were steering their country towards a situation similar to the US military operation in Tora Bora in December 2001, Asif replied, “It is definitely a possibility.”

Hours before his press remarks, Asif had posted a strongly worded message to the Taliban rulers on X, warning them against provoking Islamabad. “We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more,” he wrote.

He further warned, “Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures. Be assured and test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom.”

What has been the UN’s response?

In a related development, the United Nations expressed concern over the breakdown of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, hoping that the “fighting will not renew”.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric was asked about the collapse of the negotiations and confirmed the organisation was following the situation closely.

What triggered the recent hostilities?

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have worsened in recent days, marked by border clashes, counter-statements, and allegations, according to Dawn.

The unrest began earlier this month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghan territory on the night of October 11. That assault came after the Taliban accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan — an allegation that Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.

ANI inputs