As tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to escalate, Afghanistan’s Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on Thursday delivered a stern warning to Islamabad, asserting that any act of aggression against his country would not be tolerated.
Speaking at an event in Kabul, Haqqani said, “The people of Afghanistan may have internal problems, but they stand united against any foreign invader. The defence of our territory is among our top priorities.”
His remarks came just days after a fresh round of talks between the two countries in Istanbul failed to produce any breakthrough.
The warning also followed less than 24 hours after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reportedly issued a strong statement against the Afghan Taliban, cautioning that they could test the resolve of Islamabad at their “own peril and doom.”
Asif claimed Pakistan would not even need to use “a fraction” of its full arsenal to “completely obliterate” the Taliban and force them back into hiding.
Commenting on the failed negotiations, Haqqani maintained that while Afghanistan remained open to dialogue, it would firmly defend its sovereignty if provoked.
“The doors of understanding and dialogue remain open. We do not seek confrontation with anyone. However, anyone committing aggression should know that we have stood against the emperors of the world, and it is not at all difficult for us to defend our own territory,” he said.
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Islamabad has repeatedly insisted that any progress in bilateral talks depends on Kabul acting against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and preventing its fighters from using Afghan territory as a sanctuary.
Haqqani, however, dismissed Pakistan’s demands, saying the issue was entirely internal to Pakistan. “We have raised this issue with Pakistan in multiple meetings and through various channels, asking them to solve your own internal problem at home,” he said.
“If you bring this problem into Afghanistan tomorrow, you will create unrest here. Other hostilities will follow. This mistake will ultimately be yours and will come at a very high cost,” he warned.
The Taliban leader further emphasised Afghanistan’s readiness to defend itself despite limited resources.
“Though we do not possess long-range missiles or advanced weaponry, our determination and resolve remain firm. We can overcome any circumstances and attain victory,” he declared, adding that any act of aggression harming Afghanistan would prove to be a “big mistake.”
Earlier this week, Afghanistan had already cautioned Pakistan against any future military strikes, vowing a “strong response” if Islamabad violated its sovereignty again. The warning came after talks between the two sides collapsed, reportedly due to Pakistan’s withdrawal from the discussions.
Pakistan walked out of the Istanbul negotiations after putting forward what Kabul described as “unreasonable and unacceptable” demands.
These reportedly included calls for Afghanistan to recall and control individuals allegedly operating against Pakistan — a proposal the Afghan side rejected outright.
The report added that Afghan officials had made it clear that if Pakistan launched any airstrikes on Afghan soil, Afghan forces were fully prepared to retaliate.
Sources also indicated that the Istanbul talks exposed deep mistrust and competing agendas, particularly concerning US drone operations and cross-border militancy.
“The immediate trigger for the collapse appears to have been Pakistan’s stunning admission, for the first time publicly, that it has an agreement with the United States permitting drone operations from its territory,” citing diplomatic sources.
Pakistani officials reportedly stated that this pact “cannot be broken,” a claim that angered the Afghan delegation, which demanded assurances that Pakistan would not allow US drones to violate Afghan airspace.
The latest breakdown marks yet another low in relations between the two neighbours, with both Kabul and Islamabad trading sharp warnings amid growing regional instability.
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