Pakistan's defence minister has warned of military action against the Afghan Taliban after peace talks in Istanbul broke down, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday threatened to “completely obliterate” the Taliban government in Afghanistan, in the most severe warning yet from Islamabad since Taliban forces returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
The warning followed the collapse of a second round of truce talks mediated by Türkiye and Qatar in Istanbul, where both sides failed to resolve escalating border tensions. “Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” Asif posted on X.
The Afghan Taliban and Afghanistan’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Negotiations were aimed at preventing further violence following a deadly flare-up along the 2,600-km (1,600-mile) border earlier this month — the worst since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. At least five Pakistani soldiers and 25 Pakistani Taliban militants were killed in border clashes over the weekend, despite a ceasefire brokered in Doha on 19 October.
Sources briefed on the Istanbul talks said they collapsed amid disputes over militant groups, particularly the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering. A Pakistani security official said Kabul had shown “no willingness” to rein in the TTP, while an Afghan source familiar with the talks claimed the Taliban said they had no control over the group.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the Afghan side “kept deviating from the core issue,” accusing it of playing a “blame game” and failing to offer a viable compromise.
Deadly skirmishes erupted earlier in October after Pakistan launched airstrikes on targets in Kabul and other locations, reportedly aiming at TTP leadership. Taliban forces responded with coordinated attacks on Pakistani military posts, further straining ties between the two neighbours.
The Taliban has not publicly acknowledged any responsibility for the Pakistani Taliban’s actions. Afghan and Pakistani officials had agreed to continue dialogue after the initial Doha ceasefire, but growing mistrust appears to have derailed diplomacy.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have shared a volatile relationship since the fall of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. The TTP, designated a terrorist group by Pakistan, has intensified its attacks inside Pakistani territory since 2022.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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