ISLAMABAD; Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday issued a strong warning that Pakistan will make those responsible for terrorism “pay a heavy price,” regardless of where the threat originates. He declared that Islamabad’s relationship with Kabul will no longer follow the old pattern of issuing protest notes or sending peace delegations.
“There will no longer be protest notes or appeals for peace; no delegations will go to Kabul. Wherever the source of terrorism lies, it will have to pay a heavy price,” Asif stated in a post on X.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have spiked after a series of deadly border clashes this week. A 48-hour ceasefire that was set to expire today has now been extended until the conclusion of talks scheduled in Qatar.
The minister accused Afghanistan of “sitting in India’s lap and plotting conspiracies against Pakistan,” adding that Islamabad can no longer maintain relations with Kabul as it did in the past.
“All Afghans on Pakistani soil will have to return to their homeland. They now have their own government or caliphate in Kabul. It’s been five years since their so-called Islamic revolution—they must now live as neighbours,” he wrote.
Providing a detailed account of Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement with Kabul since the Taliban takeover in 2021, Asif noted that Pakistani foreign ministers visited Kabul four times, defence ministers and ISI chiefs twice, the special representative and foreign secretaries five times each, while the national security adviser visited once.
Additionally, eight meetings of the Joint Coordination Committee were held, alongside 225 border flag meetings, 836 protest notes, and 13 démarches.
He further revealed that since 2021, Pakistan has faced 10,347 terrorist incidents resulting in 3,844 martyrs, including civilians, military, and law enforcement personnel.
Tensions surged after Afghanistan launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistani border posts on the night of October 11, triggering several days of skirmishes that left 23 Pakistani soldiers martyred and over 200 Taliban fighters dead. In response, Pakistan carried out precision strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and Kabul.
A temporary 48-hour ceasefire was agreed upon at Kabul’s request, which expired at 6pm today but was later extended. According to diplomatic sources, a Pakistani delegation is scheduled to depart for Doha today for high-level talks with Afghan Taliban representatives, expected to begin on Saturday afternoon.
