Tazeen AkhtarFinally the cat came out of the bag as was feared or expected or foreseen in the light of previous bitter experiences and the history of such deals of Pakistan with not only with Afghanistan but with India as well. The Defence Minister of Pakistan is totally , fully disappointed on the dialogue with Taliban of Kabul.
It clearly indicates that neither Doha Dialogue was a success nor the sides could get something from Istanbul talks. The ground realities are also speaking a lot about no development on restoration of peace or normalization between the two neighbors.
Attacks from terrorists in Balochistan are going on while the border is still closed for the third consecutive week leaving the traders of both sides in the lurch bearing huge losses of millions of rupees.
The Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has said , “On the request of brotherly countries, which the Taliban government has been persistently requesting, Pakistan accepted the offer of negotiations to establish peace. However, the poisonous statements of some Afghan officials reveal that there is gradual disunity and deception within the Taliban regime.”
He share in his tweet, ” Pakistan clarifies that it does not need to use its full power to eliminate the Taliban regime or force them to hide in caves. If the Taliban regime wants, it can again witness the scenes of defeat in Tora Bora, where they ran away with their tails between their legs, which would be a new and interesting spectacle for the world.”
He lamented , “It is unfortunate that the Taliban regime is pushing Afghanistan into another conflict just to maintain its occupying rule and war economy. Despite knowing its weakness and the hollow nature of its war claims, the Taliban is trying to save its deteriorating image by beating the drums of war, apparently to fool the Afghan people.”
Asif made it clear that If the Afghan Taliban still insist on destroying Afghanistan and its innocent people, then so be it. As far as the narrative of the “graveyard of empires” is concerned, Pakistan does not call itself an empire, but due to the Taliban, Afghanistan has become a graveyard for its own people, not for empires. It has always been a playground for big powers.
He warned the Taliban fighters that they have perhaps misunderstood the Pakistani resolve and determination in their efforts to destabilize the region for their personal gain. If the Taliban regime tries to fight, the world will see that their threats are just a show.
“Pakistan will not tolerate any terrorist or suicidal attack on its soil, and any adventure will be met with a strong and bitter response. The Taliban regime should consider its consequences because testing Pakistan’s resolve and capabilities will be very costly for them, he concluded.
