Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the Taliban were originally a creation of Pakistan, developed during its alliance with the United States, but have now become “untrustworthy.”
Speaking to local media on Monday, 13 October, Asif said Pakistan did not seek war with the Taliban but warned that any hostility would be met with a firm response. He said that Whenever an attack came from Afghanistan, Pakistan pursued the attackers to their homes, and added that Islamabad knew “who lives in Afghanistan and where.”
According to Aaj News, Asif said Pakistan would never allow itself to fall into instability and had decided to secure its borders. He added that mediation from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar could help de-escalate tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.
In an interview with Geo News, Asif said that the situation along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border remained tense and that hostilities could resume “at any moment.” Asked about negotiations with Kabul, he said that if the Taliban wanted dialogue while threatening Pakistan, “they should act on their threats first, then we will talk.”
He also accused Afghanistan of harbouring a “conglomerate of international terrorism,” including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban, claiming all operated “under Kabul’s umbrella.”
When asked about Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Noor Wali Mehsud, Asif said those targeted by Pakistan were located “inside Afghan territory,” adding: “He wasn’t on the moon; he was in Afghanistan.”
Asif’s comments come amid the worst deterioration in Pakistan–Afghanistan relations in four years, following recent Taliban attacks on border posts inside Pakistan.
