The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned against trusting the Taliban’s “mixed signals” on militancy, saying the group’s support for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains intact, Geo News reported.
Speaking on the Geo News program “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath,” Asif dismissed media reports suggesting that Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had urged TTP militants to halt attacks inside Pakistan.
“It is only in the media. Practically, there has been no change on the ground,” Asif said, adding that support for TTP militants continues.
He urged the Taliban’s leadership to end all support for the group “once and for all,” stressing that any such decision must be clearly and officially communicated.
Asif also cautioned that contradictory statements from the Taliban make it “very dangerous” to rely on their assurances regarding counterterrorism. “There is absolutely nothing on the ground,” he said.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have remained high despite multiple rounds of talks. In February 2026, Pakistan launched “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq,” months after a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 collapsed following border clashes.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to act against militant groups operating from Afghan territory.
In separate remarks, Asif criticized India’s military leadership, saying New Delhi continues to face the consequences of its defeat in last year’s conflict and warning against any future military escalation.
He said Pakistan was prepared to respond to any aggression, adding that India was allegedly using Afghanistan to wage a proxy war against Pakistan.
Asif said Pakistan’s armed forces had previously carried out a large-scale retaliatory operation, “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” targeting Indian military sites. The conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10, 2025, after a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
