After Peace Talks Fail, Pakistan Warns It Can 'Completely Obliterate' Taliban Regime

Last Updated:October 29, 2025, 17:29 IST

Khawaja Asif's warning came just hours after peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan collapsed in Istanbul

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. (AP file photo)

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday warned that his country could “completely obliterate" Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban if provoked, in one of Islamabad’s strongest statements yet amid worsening tensions between the two neighbours.

“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," Asif wrote on X.

His warning came just hours after peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan collapsed in Istanbul. The negotiations, brokered by Turkey and Qatar, had aimed to secure a lasting truce following the deadliest border clashes in years, which left more than 70 people dead and hundreds injured earlier this month.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the failure of the talks early on Wednesday, saying they ended without a “workable solution". He accused the Afghan side of avoiding key issues and engaging in “blame game and deflection".

“Regrettably, the Afghan side gave no assurances, kept deviating from the core issue and resorted to blame game, deflection and ruses," Tarar said on X.

“Pakistan participated in the spirit of peace, but Kabul continues its unabated support to anti-Pakistan terrorists… We will continue to take all possible measures necessary to protect our people from the menace of terrorism," he added.

The talks were meant to reinforce a fragile ceasefire agreed in Doha on October 19, following fierce exchanges along the 2,600-km border. However, negotiators failed to reach common ground, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown.

Pakistani officials say the Taliban are allowing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — also known as the Pakistani Taliban — to operate freely from Afghan territory and carry out attacks on Pakistani troops. Afghan representatives reportedly told mediators they had “no control" over the group’s activities.

The recent escalation began after Pakistani air strikes in Kabul and other locations targeting TTP leaders. The Taliban retaliated with assaults on Pakistani military posts, triggering intense cross-border fighting that briefly closed the frontier.

Meanwhile, there has been no immediate response from the Afghan government to Pakistan’s latest warning.

(With inputs from agencies)

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