Asif warns against believing Taliban regime's 'mixed signals', says support for militants still intact

• Asif warns against trusting “mixed signals” from Afghan rulers.
• Minister urges Taliban regime to end support for TTP completely.
• Pakistan ready to counter any future Indian aggression: Asif.
  

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the Afghan Taliban regime’s support for the banned TTP militants remains intact and warned against believing in the interim rulers’ “mixed signals” on the matter of stopping cross-border terrorism.

Speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath', the defence minister was asked to comment on a local English daily report claiming Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada warned the TTP to halt attacks inside Pakistan.

“It is only in the media. Practically there has been no change in the situation on the ground,” said Asif, adding that the Taliban’s support to TTP terrorists was still intact.

Asif further urged the Taliban regime's top leadership to stop supporting TTP militants “once and for all”. “It should come from the horse’s mouth,” the minister said while commenting on the reported withdrawal of support to the banned TTP by the Taliban regime.

Pointing to the contradictory statements of the Taliban regime, the defence minister said, “it will be very dangerous to trust the mixed signals” being sent by the Afghan interim rulers on the issue of terrorism. “There is absolutely nothing on the ground.”

Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February this year, months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025, following clashes triggered by unprovoked gunfire by the Afghan Taliban regime at multiple border points.

Despite many rounds of talks, both countries have so far failed to reach an agreement due to the Afghan Taliban regime's reluctance to take action against terrorist outfits operating from its soil.

Asif hits back at Indian army chief

Separately, Defence Minister Asif hit back at remarks by India’s army chief, saying New Delhi was still dealing with the consequences of its defeat in last year’s May conflict and warned against any future military adventurism.

“India is still bearing the humiliation of its failure in the recent war,” Asif said in a statement earlier today, while responding to the Indian army chief’s statement in which the latter stated that Operation Sindoor remains active despite a temporary cessation of hostilities, and the armed forces are ready for a possible 'Operation Sindoor 2.0' if required.

The defence czar further said that Pakistan was prepared to counter any future aggression. He further said that India was using Afghanistan to wage a proxy war against Pakistan.

"India is fighting a proxy war through Afghanistan," Asif added.

Referring to the possibility of renewed tensions, he said Pakistan’s armed forces were prepared to respond. “The Pakistan Army will inflict an even stronger defeat on India than it did last time,” he said.

“What happened to India last time perhaps did not satisfy them. If India wishes to try again, it may do so, and it will receive its answer.”

In response to the Indian aggression, Pakistan's armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named "Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos", and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.

Pakistan downed eight Indian fighter jets, including Rafales, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.