Minister of Defense of Pakistan: We do not want to engage in armed conflict with Afghanistan

Khawaja Asif, the Minister of Defense of Pakistan, says that Islamabad is not seeking armed conflict with Afghanistan unless necessary.

In an interview with Voice of America, the Minister of Defense of Pakistan added that the use of force will be the last resort, and if the Taliban does not contain the TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) militants, the Pakistani army will also launch attacks on areas within Afghanistan in the future.

He said, “Force is the last resort. We do not want to engage in armed conflict with Afghanistan.”

This senior Pakistani security official threatened to block trade routes from Pakistani soil to Afghanistan if the Afghan Taliban does not stop TTP attacks.

The Minister of Defense of Pakistan added, “If Afghanistan treats us as enemies, why should we provide it access to a trade corridor?”

He emphasized that the TTP threats have become too significant, and he noted that these threats cannot be sustained at this time.

On the other hand, Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, states that Islamabad can no longer tolerate terrorist activities resulting from cross-border movements, and the abuse of border issues is a red line for Pakistan.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan has also stated that his country seeks peaceful and fraternal coexistence with neighboring countries and aims to expand its trade relations. However, if Pakistan’s security is threatened, it will no longer remain silent.

He said, “Any terrorist activity from neighboring countries is not tolerable under any circumstances. I suggest neighboring countries work together to jointly end terrorism and, through collaboration, not only reduce terrorism but also poverty and unemployment in the region.”

The Pakistani military conducted airstrikes two days ago in areas of Afghanistan in the provinces of Khost and Paktika, and these attacks were considered a clear violation of Afghan territory.

Subsequently, armed clashes occurred in several border areas with Pakistan.