Pakistan won’t tolerate Afghan-based terrorism or refugee burden: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Friday detailed Pakistan’s extensive diplomatic and security efforts to engage with the Afghan Taliban regime since its formation, saying the country had exhausted all avenues of cooperation without receiving a positive response from Kabul, ARY News reported.

 Pak-Afghan War Latest Updates

Khawaja Asif revealed that since 2021, the Foreign Minister visited Kabul four times, the Defence Minister and ISI officials twice, the Special Envoy five times, and the Foreign Secretary also made five visits. The National Security Adviser visited once, while the Joint Coordination Committee between Pakistan and Afghanistan met eight times.

Defence Minister said that Pakistan conducted 225 border flag meetings and issued 836 protest notes to the Afghan authorities, along with 13 formal demarches to Kabul.

Khawaja Asif disclosed that 3,844 Pakistanis have been martyred in terrorist incidents since 2021, including civilians, soldiers, and members of law enforcement agencies. During the same period, 10,347 acts of terrorism were recorded across the country.

“Despite five years of continuous efforts and sacrifices, Pakistan has not received any positive response from Kabul,” the defence minister said, adding that Afghanistan has now become “a proxy of India.”

He accused the Afghan Taliban regime, India, and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of jointly imposing terrorism on Pakistan. “The rulers in Kabul, sitting in India’s lap, are conspiring against Pakistan — the same people who once lived under our shelter,” he remarked.

Khawaja Asif made it clear that Pakistan can no longer afford the kind of relations it once had with Kabul. “All Afghan citizens living on Pakistani soil must return to their homeland. Afghanistan must learn to live with Pakistan as a neighbour, not as a dependent,” he stated.

“Our land and resources belong to 250 million Pakistanis,” he said, declaring that the time has come to end five decades of “forced hospitality.” Khawaja Asif added, “Self-respecting nations do not survive on foreign soil or foreign resources.”

Concluding his statement, the defence minister warned that future responses would not be limited to diplomatic protests. “From now on, our protest notes will no longer be peace appeals — and no delegation will go to Kabul. Wherever the source of terrorism exists, it will pay a heavy price. Allahu Akbar,” Khawaja Asif said.