Naqvi calls for Pak-Afghan issues to be resolved through dialogue

Asif hints at defeating Afghan Taliban to set an example for world

TEHRAN/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan’s interior ministers met on the sidelines of an Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Tehran on Wednesday, where the two leaders exchanged handshakes and held brief talks.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged that the Pakistan-Afghanistan issue be resolved through dialogue, likening disputes between nations to disagreements within a household that are settled by talking.

The meeting comes after talks in Istanbul between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime collapsed. Pakistan has announced operations against terrorists and their sponsors.

Furthermore, Naqvi also held separate meetings with Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Ardeshir Larijani and Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

Upon his arrival at the Supreme National Security Council, Minister Naqvi was warmly received by Secretary Larijani. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen Pakistan–Iran relations and enhance cooperation in the field of security.

The meeting focused on counterterrorism, anti-narcotics initiatives, and improved border management between the two neighboring countries. Both sides underlined the importance of closer collaboration and institutional linkages to address shared challenges.

Meanwhile, in an interview on Wednesday,  Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that, if necessary, Pakistan could defeat the Taliban regime and set an example for the world.

Commenting on the failed talks in Istanbul, Khawaja Asif said the Afghan Taliban regime had repeatedly sought negotiations with Pakistan through “brotherly countries”, and Pakistan had accepted the offer in the interest of peace. He added that some “poisonous” statements by Afghan officials suggested growing discord and duplicity within the Taliban leadership.

He said Pakistan did not need to use its full force to dismantle the Taliban or drive them into hiding. “If required, we could defeat them in places such as Tora Bora and set an example for people everywhere,” he said, calling it “a spectacle the international community would watch with interest”.

He accused the Taliban of dragging Afghanistan into another conflict to preserve their rule and wartime economy.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Doha, both sides said on October 19, after a week of fierce border clashes, the worst violence between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.

The two countries met again in Istanbul on October 25 to chalk out “detailed matters”. However, the talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have failed to yield any breakthrough on Islamabad’s key demand for a clear plan of action to dismantle terrorist infrastructure operating from Afghan soil.

Asif said Taliban officials, aware of their weaknesses and the reality behind their warlike claims, were “beating the drum of war” in a failed attempt to salvage their reputation among Afghans. “If the Afghan Taliban remain intent on destroying Afghanistan and its innocent people, then so be it — whatever happens will happen,” he said. He also rejected the notion that Pakistan was an “empire”, saying Islamabad did not see itself in those terms.

The defence minister said Afghanistan, because of the Taliban, had become little more than a graveyard for its own people. While historically dubbed the “graveyard of empires”, he said the country had long served as a stage for great-power rivalry. He warned militants seeking to profit from regional instability that they had misjudged Pakistan’s resolve.

“If the Taliban regime attempts to fight, the world will see their threats were mere bluster,” Asif said. “Pakistan will not tolerate any terrorist or suicide attack on its soil, and any adventurism will be met with a firm and bitter response.”

He urged the Taliban to be mindful of their fate, warning that testing Pakistan’s determination and capabilities would prove very costly.

According to sources familiar with the discussions during talks in Istanbul, the Afghan delegation repeatedly displayed obstructionist behaviour and avoided direct answers. Some members reportedly used provocative, dismissive, and even insulting language during the meetings, leaving Turkish and Qatari mediators surprised at their posture. Staff Report