Pakistan Says Taliban Won’t Survive Even a Fraction of Its Arsenal
Photo : ANI
Pakistan has issued a stern warning to the Taliban government in Afghanistan after peace talks in Turkey collapsed on Tuesday, declaring that it wouldn’t need to use more than a fraction of its military strength to crush the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding.
“Let me assure them that Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding. 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,” Dawn reported Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saying.
Kabul has accused Pakistan of derailing the peace talks in Turkey, claiming Islamabad refused to halt alleged violations of Afghan airspace and restrict US drone operations, Tolo News reported, citing sources.
The violence, which killed over 70 people and injured hundreds, broke out after multiple explosions rocked Kabul on October 9. Taliban officials have blamed Pakistan for the attacks, which occurred while both sides were holding peace talks in Istanbul.
‘Afghan Kept Deviating From Core Issue’: What Pakistan Said
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X on Wednesday that the talks ended without any resolution, claiming the “Afghan side gave no assurances and kept deviating from the core issue.”
“Regrettably, the Afghan side gave no assurances, kept deviating from the core issue and resorted to blame game, deflection and ruses,” AFP quoted Tarar as saying. “The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution.”
He further toughened Pakistan’s stance, warning Afghanistan against any “terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan.”
“We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more. Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures. Be rest assured and test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom,” Dawn quoted Asif saying.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has not made any official statement. According to Tolo News, Islamabad pressed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to formally classify the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) as a terrorist organisation and to act against the group.
Afghanistan Defence Minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, while reacting to this, said, “Pakistan and other countries use the label of terrorism for political purposes against their opponents.”
Notably, following the October 9 Kabul explosions, the Taliban launched a border offensive, prompting Pakistani strikes in response. Ceasefire collapsed before a new truce was reached on October 19 in Doha, with Qatar and Turkey mediating.