Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned the Afghan Taliban against continuing to support militants opposed to Islamabad.
He also affirmed that the blood of Pakistani citizens and security forces “will not be shed in vain,”
and that the government “will be held accountable for every drop of blood.”
Asif’s remarks came amid a surge in deadly attacks inside Pakistan in recent weeks.
The latest was a suicide bombing targeting worshippers in Islamabad last Friday.
The attack killed 33 people and injured 69 others.
Pakistani authorities say the attacker was an Afghan national
and maintain that the operation was planned inside Afghanistan.
Rounds of negotiations
Balochistan province has witnessed violent attacks that have left dozens dead.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harboring members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch militants, but the group denies this.
The Pakistani minister noted that his country has held rounds of negotiations in Doha, Istanbul, and Jeddah.
However, these rounds have not yielded any tangible results.
Asif revealed that the Taliban demanded 10 billion rupees in exchange
for the removal of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters from the border areas.
He confirmed that Islamabad was prepared to pay but received no guarantees preventing their return.
He added that his country would not make any concessions without “genuine efforts and tangible results.”
widespread controversy
In a related development, statements by a pro-Taliban analyst sparked widespread controversy after he called on Pakistanis
to kidnap Americans to demand the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year prison sentence in the United States.
The analyst also accused the Pakistani government of being subservient to Washington.
This led to a wave of criticism on social media.
These developments reflect escalating tensions in relations between Islamabad and Kabul,
amid fears that the situation could spiral into a more serious confrontation if the cross-border violence continues.
