Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has warned that if the attack on police in Bannu district requires a response, Islamabad will carry out tough and decisive operations against the Taliban. He stated that Pakistan would deal with the Taliban in the same way it has dealt with India.
According to Pakistani media, including Geo News, Khawaja Asif claimed that a “proxy war” against Pakistan is being waged through the Taliban, with India supporting it. He added that the Taliban have shown “ingratitude” after Pakistan’s assistance and cooperation, but he did not provide further details.
The Defense Minister stated that Islamabad will take revenge for the blood of the Bannu attack victims and will not rest until the armed groups are eliminated.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Taliban government’s chargé d’affaires and handed him a protest letter regarding the Bannu attack on May 9. Pakistan claims that the attack was planned in Afghanistan and, based on intelligence, the attackers were based in Afghanistan.
So far, the Taliban have not issued an official response to Pakistan’s recent statements, but previously they have repeatedly denied Islamabad’s accusations and described the insecurity in Pakistan as an internal matter of that country.
Relations between the two sides have been tense over the past few months. Although several meetings between Taliban and Pakistani officials have taken place in Qatar, China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, no clear outcome has yet been achieved.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
