By Ghulam Haider Shaikh
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s warning to the Afghan Taliban that any border violation will be met with a firm response reflects Pakistan’s growing frustration over repeated provocations and a lack of cooperation from Kabul. His remarks come at a time when tensions along the western frontier have been steadily rising, a situation that threatens not only bilateral relations but also the fragile regional stability that both nations claim to support.
Pakistan has exercised considerable restraint in the face of persistent border skirmishes, cross-border attacks, and the unchecked movement of militant groups. Yet, patience has its limits. The recent wave of terrorism inside Pakistan, attributed to elements operating from Afghan soil, has reignited public anger and forced the government to reconsider its diplomatic approach. Khawaja Asif’s statement, therefore, should be understood less as an act of aggression and more as a declaration of Pakistan’s sovereign right to defend its territory.
The irony lies in the fact that Pakistan has long been one of Afghanistan’s most consistent advocates, from hosting millions of refugees to supporting the peace process that brought the Taliban back into power. However, instead of reciprocation, Islamabad now faces hostility, fueled in part by regional actors seeking to exploit Afghanistan’s instability for their own strategic gain.
If the Taliban leadership truly wishes to be treated as a legitimate government, it must act like one, by ensuring that its territory is not used against neighboring states. Continued inaction, or worse, denial, will only isolate Kabul further and invite consequences that could prove disastrous for Afghanistan’s own security and economy.
Khawaja Asif’s warning, then, is not a call to conflict but a call to reason. Pakistan seeks peace, but not at the cost of its sovereignty. The choice now rests with the Taliban: to pursue cooperation and coexistence, or to test the resolve of a neighbor that has both the means and the will to respond decisively.
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