Pakistan Accuses Taliban of Deception and Supporting Terrorism
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has harshly criticized recent remarks by the Taliban spokesman, accusing the group of deception and attempting to deflect attention from its failures by blaming others.
In a statement on social media platform X on Saturday, Asif said that the comments made by Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, were biased and misleading. According to Asif, the Taliban are plagued by serious internal divisions and lack the capacity to provide stability and public services, resorting instead to rhetoric and political propaganda.
He added that the people of Pakistan—especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province—are well aware of Taliban support for terrorist groups. He accused the Taliban of pursuing policies aligned with foreign interests, including those of India, which he claimed undermine regional stability.
The Pakistani defence minister emphasized that the Taliban do not represent the Afghan people and that the group violates the fundamental rights of various demographic groups, including ethnic minorities, women, children, and other marginalized communities. He said the Taliban have stripped citizens of freedom of expression, access to education, and political representation.
Asif stressed that nearly four years after regaining power, the Taliban have failed to fulfill their promises to the international community and have shown themselves to be an incoherent, unskilled, and directionless administration.
He further claimed that the Taliban are now attempting to mask their weaknesses behind propaganda by serving the interests of foreign entities.
These remarks come after Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed in an interview with Khyber TV that Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Afghan border areas were aimed at facilitating the United States’ return to the Bagram Air Base.
In a separate interview with Geo News, Asif alleged that India had launched a proxy war against Pakistan from Afghan territory during the presidency of Ashraf Ghani. He stated that there is now ample evidence to support this claim and accused India of attempting to threaten Pakistan from both its eastern and western borders.
Asif emphasized that Islamabad would release evidence if necessary and claimed that India’s strategy has failed on the eastern front, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now maintaining silence.
These accusations come as the Taliban administration has repeatedly denied having any ties with India or supporting terrorist networks targeting Pakistan.
Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani recently reiterated that, under the Doha Agreement with the United States, the Taliban are committed to not allowing Afghan soil to be used against any country.
However, the Taliban have consistently dismissed Pakistan’s security concerns as internal matters and denied any involvement.
