Pakistan Defense Minister Issues Severe Threats Against Afghanistan Amid Failed Peace Talks

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued severe threats against Afghanistan, declaring they would "gouge their eyes out" if Kabul even looks toward Islamabad.

During an appearance on Geo News' primetime program 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath,' Asif made startling accusations that Afghanistan is operating as a proxy for India to facilitate terrorism in Pakistan. He further warned of delivering a response "50 times stronger" should Afghanistan launch any attack against Islamabad.

The minister expressed frustration regarding the peace negotiations, stating, "Whenever we approached an agreement—either during the last four days or last week—once negotiators reported back to Kabul, intervention occurred and the agreement was withdrawn." According to Dawn's reporting, he believes "the negotiations were sabotaged" despite having reached an agreement, only to have Kabul reverse course after consultation.

Afghan officials had previously rejected similar allegations from Pakistan as unfounded.

While Asif offered positive remarks about the Afghan negotiators themselves, he directed his criticism toward Kabul's leadership. Employing typical Pakistani diplomatic rhetoric, he claimed that Kabul was being manipulated by New Delhi: "I would compliment their delegation, but the people in Kabul pulling the strings and staging the puppet show are being controlled by Delhi."

The Defence Minister further alleged, "India is compensating for its defeat on their western border through Kabul. The junta there has elements that have visited India and visited their temples. India wants to engage in a low-intensity war with Pakistan. To achieve this, they are using Kabul."

Addressing potential threats from Afghanistan, Asif issued stark warnings: "If Afghanistan even looks at Islamabad, we will gouge their eyes out. They can employ terrorists, and they already are. Over the past four years, they have been using terrorists."

He emphatically stated, "There should be no doubt that Kabul is responsible for the terrorism in Pakistan. Kabul is a tool for Delhi. If they want to attack Islamabad, we will give a befitting response. A response 50 times stronger."

In contrast, Afghanistan's Defence Minister, Mohammad Yaqoob, had earlier dismissed Pakistan's accusations as "unfounded and illogical," emphasizing that Afghanistan maintains relations with India as a sovereign nation.

The second round of Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks commenced in Istanbul on October 25, with Asif threatening open warfare should the negotiations fail. The talks, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, ultimately collapsed.

The apparent catalyst for the breakdown was Pakistan's unprecedented public acknowledgment of an agreement with the United States permitting drone operations from Pakistani territory. Pakistani officials reportedly insisted this pact "cannot be broken," provoking outrage from the Afghan delegation, which demanded guarantees against US drones violating Afghan airspace.

Afghan sources have warned of "reciprocal action" in response to any future Pakistani strikes, stating that if Afghan territory faces bombardment, "Islamabad will be targeted."