Can 'obliterate Taliban regime': Pakistan warns Afghanistan as peace talks in Turkey fail; Kabul hits back

Pakistan has issued a stark warning to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan after the peace talks in Turkey failed to bear any outcome on Tuesday. Boasting Pakistan's defence arsenal, its Pakwarned that "not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding."

“Let me assure them that Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding. If they wish so, the repeat of the scenes of their rout at Tora Bora, with their tails between the legs, would surely be a spectacle to watch for the people of the region,” Dawn reported Asif saying.

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Kabul has blamed Pakistan for the failed peace talks in Turkey after Islamabad disagreed "to stop violating Afghan airspace and prevent US drone flights," Tolo News reported citing sources.

The violence, which left more than 70 people dead and wounded hundreds more, erupted after a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9, attacks that Taliban authorities have attributed to Pakistan. The two sides had been engaged in peace talks in Istanbul at the time.

What Pakistan said

Pakistan information minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday informed in a post on X that the talks between the two nations had no conclusion as the "Afghan side gave no assurances, kept deviating from the core issue."

"Regrettably, the Afghan side gave no assurances, kept deviating from the core issue and resorted to blame game, deflection and ruses," AFP quoted Tarar saying. "The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution."

Adding to this, Asif took a more firm stance warning Afghanistan against any "terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan".

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“We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more. Any terrorist attack or any suicide bombing inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures. Be rest assured and test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom,” Dawn quoted Asif saying.

What Afghanistan said

Though there has been no direct statements from Kabul's side, media reports stated that the talks broke down as "Pakistani delegation reportedly presented demands that were also unacceptable to both sides."

According to Tolo News, sources said Islamabad pressed the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to formally classify the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a terrorist organization and to act against the group.

Reacting to this, Afghanistan defence minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, said, “Pakistan and other countries use the label of terrorism for political purposes against their opponents.”

However, a Pakistani security source said the Afghan delegation initially agreed to act decisively against the TTP but repeatedly backtracked under instructions from Kabul, AFP reported.

Following the October 9 Kabul explosions, the Taliban launched a border offensive—prompting Pakistani strikes in response. A 48-hour ceasefire collapsed before a new truce was reached on October 19 in Doha, with Qatar and Turkey mediating. The border has now been shut for over two weeks, allowing only expelled Afghans to cross, leaving goods stranded and spoiling in places like Spin Boldak.