Khawaja Asif dismisses Afghan claim that TTP militants are ‘Pakistani refugees’

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised an Afghan delegation’s claim that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants are “Pakistani refugees” residing in Afghanistan, describing it as “baseless and illogical”.

At the Istanbul talks, the Afghan delegation suggested the militants “were simply returning to their homes”. Responding via social media, Khawaja Asif questioned how they could be considered refugees while apparently armed with highly destructive weapons.

He added: “How are these refugees travelling, not along roads or in vehicles, but like thieves along difficult mountain tracks into Pakistan?”

The minister said the statement reflected bad faith and a lack of sincerity, and indicated weakness on the part of the Afghan delegation. He warned that if Afghan territory is used against Pakistan for terrorist activity, the country would respond at any cost.

Read: Explained: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict

Khawaja Asif has previously warned that, if necessary, Pakistan could defeat the Taliban regime and set an example for the world.

Commenting on the unsatisfactory trajectory of talks in Istanbul, Asif said that some “poisonous” statements by Afghan officials suggested growing discord and duplicity within the Taliban leadership, Express News reported.

Istanbul peace talks

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Doha, both sides said on October 19, after a week of fierce border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

The two countries met again in Istanbul on October 25 to chalk out “detailed matters”. However, the talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul failed to yield any breakthrough on Islamabad’s key demand for a clear plan of action to dismantle terrorist infrastructure operating from Afghan soil.

Read more: Pakistan agrees to resume talks with Afghan Taliban at hosts’ request

Radio Pakistan, on Thursday, confirmed that Pakistan has agreed to resume negotiations with the Afghan Taliban at the request of the host countries, a move that will keep the Pakistani delegation in Istanbul longer than planned.

The decision was taken to give the negotiating process another chance, but that Pakistan’s core demand — that Afghan territory must not be used to carry out terrorism against Pakistan — will remain central to any renewed discussions.