Khawaja Asif Slams Afghan Taliban Over Inaction Against Militants Attacking Pakistan

Last Updated:June 16, 2026, 23:48 IST

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accuses Afghan Taliban of failing to curb cross-border militants.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to act against militants allegedly using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, particularly in the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking in Pakistan’s parliament, Asif rejected suggestions that Islamabad had not engaged sufficiently with Kabul, saying Pakistan had repeatedly attempted dialogue with the Taliban leadership.

“I have been to Kabul twice myself, it was three years ago, the then DG ISI was also with me. They (Taliban officials) used to believe everything but insisted that we could not give anything in writing," Asif said, PTI reported.

The Minister revealed that discussions with Afghanistan had also taken place through mediation efforts involving Qatar and Turkiye, but said those initiatives failed to produce lasting outcomes.

According to Asif, the Taliban administration had sought financial assistance from Pakistan to relocate militants away from border areas. “But we wanted a guarantee that even if these people were taken to remote areas, they would not come and settle near our border again," he said, adding that Pakistan was prepared to provide Rs 10 billion for the effort.

Asif urged those advocating negotiations with Afghanistan to secure concrete assurances on peace and warned against politicising security challenges linked to cross-border militancy.

Highlighting the human cost of the conflict, he said 4,317 Pakistani soldiers had lost their lives in counterterrorism operations since 2022.

“This is a huge sacrifice. Who has killed them?" he asked before adding, “Those who have been our guests for 45 years. They have eaten the salt of my soil, yours and everyone else’s."

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained over the past year, with tensions frequently spilling over into clashes along the shared border.

Asif also noted Pakistan’s role in facilitating an agreement between the United States and Iran and expressed hope that easing sanctions on Tehran could create economic opportunities for Islamabad.

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