Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that terrorists would pay a “heavy price” regardless of “where the source of terrorism is located,” adding that the relationship with Kabul would no longer be like the past.
“There will no longer be notes of protest or calls for peace; no delegation will go to Kabul. Wherever the source of terrorism is, a high price will have to be paid,” the Defense Minister said in a post on X.
On the night of October 11, Afghanistan launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts, triggering a series of skirmishes that lasted until Wednesday, leaving 23 soldiers martyred and more than 200 Taliban fighters dead.
Pakistan’s armed forces carried out “precision strikes” in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital Kabul. A temporary ceasefire was then agreed upon at the request of Afghanistan for 48 hours.
Asif added that Afghanistan was “sitting in India’s lap and hatching conspiracies against Pakistan” and that Islamabad “can no longer afford to have relations with Kabul like in the past.”
“All Afghans found on Pakistani soil will have to return to their homeland,” he wrote. “Now they have their own government.” [or] caliphate in Kabul. It has been five years since the Islamic revolution…they must live with Pakistan as neighbors.”
In the message, the Minister of Defense detailed the visits of Pakistani delegations to Kabul and provided figures of acts of terrorism committed by groups operating from Afghanistan and the total number of victims.
Since the Taliban took power in 2021, Pakistani foreign ministers have visited Kabul four times; defense ministers and ISI chiefs visited twice; the special representative and the foreign secretaries made five visits each; the national security adviser visited once and the Joint Coordination Committee held eight meetings in the Afghan capital.
He added that there were 225 border flag meetings, 836 protest notes and 13 negotiations.
“From 2021 to date: 3,844 martyrs (civilian, military and law enforcement combined). Terrorist incidents: 10,347,” listed the Minister of Defense.
The temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan was extended today, a senior diplomatic source confirmed to dawn.com. The Islamabad delegation is still in Pakistan and is scheduled to leave for Qatar’s capital Doha tomorrow morning, security sources said.
“The temporary ceasefire was extended at the request of the Afghan Taliban government,” the source said. “High-level talks are expected to begin on Saturday.”
