DEFENCE Minister Khawaja Asif delivered Pakistan’s sternest warning yet to the Taliban regime on Wednesday, declaring that Islamabad would not hesitate to strike “deep into Afghanistan” if Kabul failed to rein in militants using its soil for attacks across the border.
The warning comes in the wake of breakdown of peace talks brokered by brotherly countries Turkiye and Qatar in Istanbul. The talks collapsed because of obstinate refusal by the Taliban regime to guarantee that its soil would not be used for aggression. The Minister told reporters that if Afghan territory is used to violate Pakistan’s territory then, we reserve the right to retaliate in any manner.
The remarks of the Minister are yet another indication of Pakistan’s patience stretching to limits due to non-cooperation of the Kabul regime in the ongoing war against terrorism, which not only threatens peace and security of people in Pakistan but has the potential to engulf wider regions because of what is going on in Afghanistan. It is all the more important to note that India, which spares no opportunity of leveling accusations of terrorism against Pakistan, is complicit in the bloodshed of innocent people in Pakistan, who fall victim to Indo-Afghan sponsored terrorism. The Minister underlined that while Pakistan approached the talks with sincerity, the Afghan side appeared bent on obstruction. Kabul was not sincere at any level for any arrangement despite strenuous efforts made by mediators. Kh. Asif pointed out that on the directives of India and by becoming its proxy, Fitna al-Hindustan wants to leverage its position over Pakistan through Afghanistan. According to him, working groups from both sides had nearly reached consensus multiple times before Afghan delegates abruptly withdrew under instructions from Kabul. In fact, Pakistan made scores of moves and tried its level best to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism peacefully but no progress could be made in this regard because of the stubborn attitude of the Taliban, who are willingly advancing the Indian agenda of destabilizing Pakistan in every conceivable manner. The statement of the Minister is a clear manifestation of Pakistan’s resolve to go to any extent to eliminate terrorism and responsibility for any conflict will squarely fall on the shoulders of the Taliban.
