Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that relations with Afghanistan cannot return to normal unless Kabul ends support for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), local media reported.
Speaking to Geo News, Asif demanded that those sheltering TTP militants in Afghanistan stop cross-border infiltration. “Peaceful relations with our neighbour are only possible if all support for the TTP is completely ended,” he said, adding that Pakistan cannot trust Afghanistan without firm guarantees against attacks from its soil.
Asif accused the Taliban government of breaching a ceasefire and said Pakistan has responded appropriately. He noted that the next round of talks between delegations from both countries is scheduled for November 6 in Istanbul. The latest talks in Turkey, he said, concluded on Monday without result.
On October 29, Asif posted a stern warning to the Taliban on X, saying Islamabad’s resolve should not be tested. He wrote that Pakistan “does not even need to use a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban” and could force them back into hiding, likening a potential rout to the Tora Bora episode. He added that any terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan would invite a harsh response.
