We don’t want armed conflict with Afghanistan: Asif

Defence minister says message needed to be sent that cross-border terrorism has become intolerable

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that Pakistan did not want any armed conflict with Afghanistan, but warned Kabul that Islamabad could block the corridor for its trade with India if it failed to curb anti-Pakistan terrorists operating from there.

In an interview with Voice of America (VoA), Asif highlighted a surge in terror attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. He recalled that during a visit to Kabul last year he had advised Taliban not to let past “favours” from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) tie their hands.

“Force is the last resort. We do not want to have an armed conflict with Afghanistan,” Asif said, while speaking about the airstrikes on alleged terrorist hideouts across the border. He noted that a message needed to be sent that cross-border terrorism had become intolerable.

Pakistan carried out strikes inside the neighbouring country in response to a March 16 terrorist attack in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, in which seven Pakistani soldiers, including two officers, were martyred. the target of the operation was the terrorists, responsible for multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Read UN report reveals TTP set up new base in K-P

The minister stressed that Pakistan needed to convey to the rulers in Kabul that the current situation was untenable. “If they [TTP] can harm us, then we’ll be forced to [retaliate],” Asif said.

However, he hoped Afghanistan would rein in the TTP, preventing the need for future military strikes from Pakistan.

Asif questioned the rationale behind providing trade corridor if Afghanistan treated Pakistan as an enemy. He cautioned that Pakistan could block this corridor it provides to Afghanistan for trade with India if Kabul failed to curb anti-Pakistan terrorists on its soil.

Responding to a question, Asif said that Kabul was allowing the TTP to operate against Pakistan to prevent its members from joining the Islamic State’s (IS) local chapter, known as IS-Khorasan.

He referred to IS-KP as a major internal security threat for Afghanistan.

Despite China’s silence on the cross-border fighting, Asif dismissed the notion of lack of public support from Beijing. “It’s not necessary that the world must applaud us.

What is in our interest is enough for us. We are protecting our interest, irrespective of whether someone applauds us or not.”