Pakistan's chilling warning to Taliban rulers as Afghan talks collapse: 'Own peril and doom'

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif has again raised the specter of war with Afghanistan after talks with Kabul failed in Istanbul, saying that Taliban rulers should test his country's resolve at their "own peril and doom".

“We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more. Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures. Be rest assured and test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom,” Asif said on X.

The remark comes a day after talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan collapsed in the Turkish capital. Islamabad has claimed that the two sides were close to reaching a written agreement but the Afghan negotiators backtracked after contacting Kabul during the discussions.

According to Pakistani media, Asif said the negotiators withdrew from the deal “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the last four days or last week — when negotiators reported to Kabul, then there was intervention and the agreement was withdrawn,” he said, accusing those in Kabul of sabotaging the process.

Earlier, Asif had warned of an "open war" with Afghanistan if the talks collapsed.

The talks between the two countries come amid a fragile ceasefire following violent border clashes which escalated sharply earlier this month, resulting in dozens of casualties and the closure of major trade routes. akistan has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Taliban-inspired terror group that has become a nightmare for Pakistani security forces.

Earlier, Asif and other Pakistani ministers had accused external actors of pulling the strings in Kabul, indirectly dragging India into the issue.

The defence minister had also 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.