‘Excellent advice to Munir’: Zalmay Khalilzad mocks Pakistan Army chief after Tajik intel chief’s warning on Afghanistan

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Former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad appeared to take a sly dig at Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, after the Tajik intelligence chief publicly warned Islamabad against pursuing a war-driven approach toward Afghanistan.

Tajik intel chief Saimumin Yatimov wrote on X that he had advised General Munir to “choose the path of peace with Afghanistan,” reminding him that “history remembers Afghanistan as the graveyard of empires.” He urged Pakistan to “abandon its war-driven agendas and instead work toward regional peace.”

Excellent advise to #Pakistan's military leader Munir from Tajikistan's very experienced @TajikIntelChief Yatimov. #Afghanistan #Qatar #Turkey #Uzbekistan #UAE #India#USA @POTUS @DCIARatcliffehttps://t.co/pXMagbppL0

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— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) October 28, 2025

Khalilzad, who served as Washington’s lead negotiator during the 2020 Doha talks with the Taliban, reposted Yatimov’s statement, writing: “Excellent advice to Pakistan’s military leader Munir from Tajikistan’s very experienced Yatimov.”

The post, tagged with multiple regional references including India, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, is seen as a pointed jab at Munir and Pakistan’s military establishment, which is facing criticism over escalating tensions with Kabul.

Speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath, Asif said negotiators withdrew from deals “four or five times” after reporting back to Kabul. “Whenever we got close to an agreement — either in the last four days or last week — when negotiators reported to Kabul, then there was intervention and the agreement was withdrawn,” he said, accusing those in Kabul of sabotaging the process.

Asif went further, accusing external actors of pulling the strings in Kabul and alleging India was using the Afghan capital to wage a proxy campaign against Pakistan. “I would compliment their delegation, but the people in Kabul pulling the strings and staging the puppet show are being controlled by Delhi,” he told Geo News. He said the Kabul government lacked authority and had been “penetrated” by India, which he claimed was trying to engage Islamabad in a low-intensity war.

The defence minister issued a stark warning over possible reprisals if Pakistan were targeted. “If Afghanistan even looks at Islamabad, we will gouge their eyes out,” Asif said, adding that Pakistan would deliver a response “50 times stronger” if provoked.