Pakistan warns 'we can obliterate the Taliban regime' after Istanbul talks collapse

Pakistan threatens to 'obliterate' Taliban after peace talks fail

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued warnings against Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, saying Pakistan could “completely obliterate” the group if provoked. His statement came hours after peace talks between the two nations in Turkey failed without resolution.

“Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” Asif wrote on X. He added, “If they wish so, the repeat of the scenes of their rout at Tora Bora, with their tails between the legs, would surely be a spectacle to watch for the people of the region,” Dawn reported.

The negotiations held in Istanbul, brokered by Turkey and Qatar, failed to achieve a lasting truce between the two neighbours. The talks were aimed at ending the deadliest border clashes in years, which claimed more than 70 lives and left dozens injured earlier this month.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the talks ended without a “workable solution,” accusing the Afghan side of “blame game and deflection.”

“Regrettably, the Afghan side gave no assurances, kept deviating from the core issue and resorted to blame game, deflection and ruses,” Tarar said on X.

“Pakistan participated in the spirit of peace, but Kabul continues its unabated support to anti-Pakistan terrorists… We will continue to take all possible measures necessary to protect our people from the menace of terrorism,” he added.

After the talks broke down, Asif warned Kabul against any further attacks, saying, “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,” Dawn quoted him as saying.

According to Tolo News, Afghan sources blamed Pakistan for the failure of the talks, saying Islamabad refused to stop “violating Afghan airspace and prevent US drone flights.” They also said Pakistan demanded that the Taliban formally classify the TTP as a terrorist organization, a condition Kabul rejected.

A Pakistani security source, however, told AFP that the Afghan delegation initially agreed to act against the TTP but “repeatedly backtracked” under instructions from Kabul.

The truce negotiations followed a fragile ceasefire reached in Doha on October 19, but both sides failed to reach common ground in the second round.

Pakistani officials claim the Taliban are allowing the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate freely from Afghan territory, launching attacks on Pakistani forces. Afghan representatives reportedly told mediators they had “no control” over the group.