{"id":6883,"date":"2025-10-30T03:24:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T03:24:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianinsightnews.com\/?p=6883"},"modified":"2025-10-30T03:28:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T03:28:31","slug":"will-push-them-back-into-the-caves-pakistans-khawaja-asif-threatens-to-obliterate-afghan-taliban-after-istanbul-talks-collapse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianinsightnews.com\/?p=6883","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Will Push Them Back Into the Caves\u2019: Pakistan\u2019s Khawaja Asif Threatens to \u2018Obliterate\u2019 Afghan Taliban After Istanbul Talks Collapse."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ISLAMABAD \u2014<\/strong> Pakistan\u2019s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif issued an uncompromising warning to the Afghan Taliban on Wednesday, threatening to \u201ccompletely obliterate\u201d the group and drive fighters \u201cback to the caves\u201d if militants continue to launch attacks from Afghan soil against Pakistan. The remarks followed the breakdown of peace talks in Istanbul aimed at resolving cross-border violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asif \u2014 speaking after four days of mediation in Turkey that failed to secure the guarantees Islamabad demanded on militant groups operating from Afghanistan, particularly the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) \u2014 told reporters Pakistan had \u201cborne [their] treachery and mockery for too long, but no more.\u201d He warned that Pakistan \u201cdoes not require even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defence minister also issued an especially stark threat aimed at Kabul\u2019s rulers, saying: \u201cIf Afghanistan even looks at Islamabad, we will gouge their eyes out,\u201d and pledging a response \u201c50 times stronger\u201d should Afghan forces attack Pakistan. Asif reiterated longstanding Pakistani allegations that elements in Kabul are being influenced by New Delhi and accused India of waging a \u201clow-intensity war\u201d against Pakistan through proxies \u2014 charges rejected by New Delhi and Kabul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Istanbul talks \u2014 brokered by regional mediators after deadly cross-border exchanges earlier this month \u2014 collapsed amid disagreement over verifiable steps Afghanistan would take against the TTP and other militants. Islamabad demanded a durable, verifiable mechanism that would prevent Afghan territory from being used to plan or launch attacks on Pakistan; Kabul has resisted what it calls external pressure to act against groups it regards as internally Afghan matters. Observers say mutual mistrust and competing regional agendas scuttled the negotiations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The escalation follows a series of violent incidents along the shared border and Pakistani air strikes into Afghanistan that Islamabad says targeted militant hideouts. Kabul condemned cross-border strikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty and in recent days there were reports of retaliatory fire \u2014 raising fears of a wider confrontation in a region already fragile after the Taliban takeover in Kabul in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indian perspective and regional implications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

New Delhi has been closely watching the developments, given the potential security fallout along India\u2019s eastern and northern approaches and the risk of renewed militant transits. Analysts in India say Pakistan\u2019s rhetoric and threats of deep cross-border operations could destabilise border management and complicate ongoing efforts to control transnational militant networks in the region. Indian officials have not signalled any change to bilateral channels but are reported to be monitoring the situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security experts caution that inflammatory statements by senior leaders on either side risk fuelling a cycle of retaliation that could quickly escalate into limited military clashes or a prolonged period of instability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. They urge both capitals and mediators to pursue immediate confidence-building measures \u2014 including humanitarian safeguards at border crossings and clear communication lines between military commanders \u2014 to prevent miscalculation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to watch next<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n