Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday issued a blunt warning to the Afghan Taliban, declaring that Islamabad’s patience had "run out" over the continued use of Afghan territory by militants targeting Pakistan, Pakistani news outlet Dawn reported.
Addressing the National Assembly, Asif said "Enough is enough," warning that Pakistan would no longer tolerate terrorism from Afghan soil.
The warning came as tensions increased after the killing of 11 Pakistani security personnel, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, in a clash with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Orakzai district.
Asif told lawmakers that Pakistan would go after terrorist facilitators "wherever they are," signalling that Islamabad may take stronger measures if Kabul fails to act against militants along the shared border.
"Our patience has limits. Those who shelter or facilitate terrorists -- whether in Pakistan or Afghanistan -- will face the consequences," he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Khawaja Asif revealed that Pakistani officials had raised the issue of cross-border militancy directly with the Afghan Taliban during a visit to Kabul three years ago, but their concerns were met with vague assurances.
"We told Afghan officials that 6,000–7,000 people were settled on your soil who pose a threat to us," Asif said, adding that Kabul even suggested a financial arrangement to relocate those groups to western Afghanistan.
Asif said the government would now take urgent diplomatic steps to address the situation. He proposed sending a high-level delegation to Kabul within days to deliver a strong message to Afghan authorities, demanding immediate action against terror networks using Afghan territory to launch attacks on Pakistan.
Hours after Khawaja Asif's warning, two explosions were heard in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul on Thursday night. Several reports claimed that Pakistan has launched an attack on Afghan capital. However, this remains unverified as no official clarification has been issued by any of the concerned nations
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the sound of an explosion was heard in the city of Kabul, but there were no reports of damage, and an investigation into the incident is underway.
Source: India Today