Pakistan No Longer Expects ‘Anything Positive’ From Taliban, Says Defence Minister
Pakistan’s defence minister has said Islamabad no longer expects “anything positive” from the Taliban, describing the group as self-interested and untrustworthy.
Pakistan’s defence minister has said Islamabad no longer expects “anything positive” from the Taliban, describing the group as self-interested and untrustworthy.
Khawaja Asif acknowledged that he had once welcomed the Taliban’s return to power, but said any hopes Pakistan held at the time had now disappeared.
In an interview with Geo News on Tuesday, Asif said the Taliban’s behaviour had not changed and that the group was “leading Afghanistan towards destruction.”
Rejecting Taliban claims that Pakistan carried out airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Monday night, he insisted that Islamabad had not conducted such operations and said Pakistan’s military was a disciplined force that would not target civilians. He argued that Pakistan’s conduct could not be compared to that of the Taliban, whom he accused of lacking a code of conduct, religion or tradition.
Asif said Pakistan sought regional peace and stability, adding that the continued tensions served no interest. He noted that he is now mocked for a past social-media post expressing support for the Taliban after the signing of the US–Taliban Doha agreement, saying his earlier optimism had faded.
He added that if the Taliban sought alternative trade routes or closer ties with India, Pakistan would not object.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have sharply escalated since the reports of airstrikes in Khost, Kunar and Paktika on Monday night. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of carrying out the attacks and warned that the group would “respond at the appropriate time,” while Pakistan’s military has denied any involvement.
