Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected Afghan delegation’s claim that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants are merely Pakistani refugees returning home, calling it “absurd” and evidence of Kabul’s “insincerity and ill intent.”
He questioned how “so-called refugees” could be “returning armed with highly destructive weapons,” moving covertly across difficult mountain routes rather than travelling openly on main roads.
Asif’s remarks land amid a parallel diplomatic track in which Türkiye and Qatar have noted the continuation of the Pakistan–Afghanistan ceasefire.
According to the mediators’ recent statement, the next round is set to finalise a monitoring and verification mechanism that envisages penalties for any violating party.
The defence minister’s broadside follows an earlier, strongly worded statement by Information Minister Atta Tarar, who said Pakistan “indulged in talks to give peace a chance” at the request of “brotherly countries,” but accused Afghan officials of “venomous statements” and the Taliban regime of dragging Afghanistan toward conflict to sustain a “war economy.”
He warned that any terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan would be met with a forceful response.
Pakistan has repeatedly engaged the Afghan Taliban on “legitimate” demands: curbing cross border terrorism and ending support for militant outfits operating from Afghan soil, concerns Islamabad has framed against commitments referenced in the Doha process.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, the ceasefire’s extension and a penalty-backed verification plan keep a diplomatic off-ramp in view, with principal-level talks slated to settle implementation details.
