Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan no longer had any expectations from the Afghan Taliban, calling them a “ragtag group” and saying they were not reliable rulers of Afghanistan.
“It will be folly to trust them [Afghan Taliban]. We have tried to remain civil with them […] but they’ve not repaid how one should to the soil that’s provided home to two of their generations,” Khawaja Asif said while talking to the private media channel.
The comments came after a suicide attack on Monday at the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar, which killed three officers and injured 11 others.
Since 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorism. Despite Pakistan’s repeated requests, the Afghan Taliban have failed to stop terrorists from using Afghan soil for attacks across the border.
Recently, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that banned TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud planned the suicide attack in Islamabad that killed 12 people. Security forces have also killed several terrorists, many of whom were Afghan nationals.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have worsened further since October, when both sides exchanged fire. Taliban forces, along with TTP militants, attacked Pakistani posts and martyred nearly two dozen soldiers, after which Pakistan responded with major strikes inside Afghanistan.
“If the terrorism factory ceases to exist and Afghan people are allowed to earn money”, it will benefit everyone, but the Afghan Taliban are the “enemies of the Afghan people”, the minister added.
Also Read, 16 Khawarij Killed in Dera Ismail Khan Operation
Pakistani security forces killed at least 16 militants from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an intelligence-driven operation in the Kot Sultan area of Dera Ismail Khan, officials said on Tuesday.
Authorities launched the joint action after intelligence units traced the presence of the Sher Ali faction, a group blamed for a series of attacks across southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The militants had been sheltering in mud structures and temporary hideouts and were believed to be regrouping.
Gunfight Erupts as Troops Move In
When troops advanced on the hideouts, the militants opened fire, prompting a brief but intense clash. Security personnel returned fire and killed 16 members of the faction reportedly tied to its local commander.
Officials added that two injured militants were detained and moved to an undisclosed location for questioning.
Part of Expanding Counter-Terror Campaign
Security sources said the raid is part of an escalating counter-terror effort in the Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Lakki Marwat corridor, where TTP remnants have attempted to shift operations amid pressure in other regions.
Troops later cleared the site and recovered weapons, ammunition and communication devices believed to have been used by the network.
