Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has termed the Afghan Taliban as unreliable and lacking connection with religion, labelling them as "ungrateful".
Speaking on the Samaa TV programme Nadeem Malik Live, Asif said Afghanistan’s actions would be met in kind. He criticised the Afghan Taliban for empty promises, saying they verbally commit but fail to deliver in writing.
The minister recalled that Pakistan had issued passports to individuals with no real ties to the country, a practice that could not continue. “They must understand the consequences of their actions,” he said.
Asif mentioned about the Taliban’s previous assurances that displaced persons would be settled in a single province, which were never fulfilled. He questioned accountability for those who returned and became involved in hostile activities.
The minister maintained that attempts to communicate with the Taliban often failed. “They would call from Kabul and then present new demands,” Asif added.
Also Read: Will strike even inside Afghanistan if terrorism continues: Asif warns
Earlier, Asif issued a stern warning to the Afghan government on Wednesday, declaring that Pakistan will not hesitate to respond militarily — even by entering Afghanistan — if Afghan soil is used for terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan’s patience was running out as Kabul has adopted a path of resistance despite repeated diplomatic efforts to resolve differences.
“If Afghan soil is used for terrorism, we will respond,” Asif said. “If the border is violated, we will also attack. And if we have to respond by going inside Afghanistan, we will do that.”
'Mediators have realised Kabul’s intentions,' says Asif
The defence minister revealed that the recent negotiations with Afghanistan were concluded Tuesday evening, but the talks failed to yield any progress due to Kabul’s reluctance to formalize commitments in writing.
“It has now become clear to the mediators what Kabul’s intentions are,” Asif said. “Afghanistan accepts everything verbally but is not ready to give anything in writing.”
He added, “Now there is no medicine left — only prayers can be offered,” indicating Pakistan’s frustration with the deadlock in dialogue.
Kabul’s resistance, Taliban’s conduct
Asif accused the Afghan Taliban of pushing Afghanistan back into the past, saying their governance style “does not meet the definition of a modern state.”
“The Taliban are people who kill and kill — they are reaping financial benefits,” Asif remarked. “They are not used to the identity of a state, nor do they understand it.”
Also Read: Pakistan doesn’t need full arsenal to obliterate Taliban regime, warns Asif
He said there was “no one in the Kabul government who can explain what a state actually means,” adding that the Taliban’s rigid stance had made meaningful negotiations nearly impossible.
'Taliban playing into India’s hands,'
In one of his strongest statements yet, Asif accused the Afghan Taliban of completely playing into India’s hands, saying that their alignment with Indian interests was one of the key reasons behind the failure of the recent Istanbul peace talks.
“The Taliban are completely playing into India’s hands,” he said. “Because of this, the Istanbul talks could not prove fruitful.”
Asif added that Kabul’s non-cooperation was undermining peace and security in the region and warned that Pakistan would not tolerate continued inaction on cross-border militant attacks.
