Pakistan's defense minister admits attempts to reset ties have failed.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has made his strongest public admission yet that Islamabad’s efforts to rebuild relations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan have failed entirely. Speaking about the post-2021 engagement, Asif said he personally welcomed the Taliban after they seized Kabul and travelled to Afghanistan multiple times to stabilize ties — but “none of it brought any benefit or success."
His remarks came after Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed in a social-media post that Pakistan "bombed" a house in Khost province on November 24, killing nine children and a woman. Mujahid also alleged additional strikes in Kunar and Paktika, saying four people were injured.
In an interview on Geo News, Asif was asked whether Pakistan was denying conducting any strikes or causing civilian casualties during recent alleged cross-border operations. “Both things are non-existent at this time," he replied. “We do react and retaliate, but civilians are not our target at all. We have a disciplined force with traditions and a code of conduct. We are not a ragtag group like the Taliban, who neither have a code of conduct nor religion nor traditions."
The minister added that Pakistan had now “completely lost hope" in the Taliban and saw “no scope left for any positive change" from Kabul. “Hope should always remain unless all limits are crossed," he said, “but today, we are completely writing them off, and we have no good hope from them."
When asked about the Taliban’s statement that they would retaliate according to Islamic law, Asif bristled, questioning the legitimacy of their claim. He asked which version of Islamic law the Afghan Taliban follow, “that requires them to live in their neighbor’s home for decades and then spill blood," a remark widely read as a pointed reference to Taliban leadership sheltering in Pakistan during the long insurgency.
