ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the Afghan Taliban regime continues to support banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and warned against trusting what he described as the interim rulers’ “mixed signals” on curbing cross-border terrorism.
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Asif dismissed media reports claiming Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had instructed the TTP to stop attacks inside Pakistan. He said the reported warning existed only in the media and had not translated into any change on the ground. Asif added that Taliban support for TTP militants remained intact.
The defence minister urged the Afghan Taliban’s leadership to end its backing of TTP militants decisively. He said any meaningful decision should be clearly and publicly communicated by the Taliban leadership itself rather than conveyed through indirect reports.
Highlighting inconsistencies in statements coming from Kabul, Asif said trusting such mixed messages could prove dangerous. He maintained that Pakistan had seen no practical steps to curb militant activity originating from Afghan soil.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February, months after Islamabad and Kabul agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025. The ceasefire followed clashes triggered by what Pakistan described as unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces at several border points. Despite multiple rounds of talks, both sides failed to reach an agreement due to Kabul’s reluctance to act against militant groups.
Separately, Asif responded strongly to remarks by India’s army chief, saying India continued to face the consequences of its defeat in last year’s May conflict. He warned New Delhi against any future military adventurism and said Pakistan was fully prepared to respond.
Asif accused India of waging a proxy war against Pakistan through Afghanistan and said Pakistan’s armed forces would deliver a stronger response if provoked again. He added that Pakistan had previously responded through Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, targeting Indian military installations, before a US-brokered ceasefire ended hostilities on May 10.
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