'At The Right Time': Khawaja Asif Hints Pakistan Is Weighing 'Action Against Afghanistan Taliban'

Last Updated:January 29, 2026, 09:37 IST

Pakistan defence minister directly blamed the Taliban government in Kabul for harbouring and facilitating Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif (Image: AP/file)

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has signalled that Islamabad is actively weighing both military and diplomatic options against Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, accusing it of facilitating terrorism inside Pakistan and warning that action will be taken at a time of Pakistan’s choosing.

Speaking amid heightened regional instability, Asif said Pakistan’s policy towards the Afghan Taliban remains unchanged and is “not on the back-burner", even though immediate kinetic action is not considered suitable under current geopolitical conditions. “Yes, definitely Pakistan will take action against the Afghan Taliban at the right time and according to our own convenience," he said, adding that the response could involve either military operations or the severing of diplomatic ties.

The defence minister directly blamed the Taliban government in Kabul for harbouring and facilitating Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out repeated attacks inside Pakistan. Calling Afghanistan an “enemy country" under the present circumstances, Asif asserted that Pakistan’s patience has limits and that continued support for anti-Pakistan militant groups will not go unanswered.

However, Asif cautioned that the wider regional situation is currently too volatile for immediate escalation. He pointed to “heavy geopolitical turmoil" in Pakistan’s neighbourhood, citing threats to Iran, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East — particularly in Palestine and Yemen — and instability across parts of Africa. “This is not a favourable time to hit Afghanistan," he said, stressing that Islamabad must calibrate its response carefully amid overlapping crises.

Significantly, Asif also indicated that Pakistan’s defence and strategic engagement with Turkey is intensifying, with key matters being discussed in parallel. While stopping short of detailing specific agreements, he said the option of deeper defence cooperation remains “on the table" and that developments would “unfold and crystallise soon", hinting at broader regional alignments.

The remarks come as Pakistan faces growing internal security challenges, rising cross-border militancy, and diplomatic friction with Kabul. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to prevent its soil from being used against Pakistan, demands that have so far gone unmet.

Asif’s statements underline a hardened stance in Islamabad: while immediate action may be delayed due to regional instability, Pakistan is preparing multiple pressure points — military, diplomatic, and strategic — to confront what it sees as an increasingly hostile Afghan Taliban regime.

News world 'At The Right Time': Khawaja Asif Hints Pakistan Is Weighing 'Action Against Afghanistan Taliban'

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