Pakistan Warns Afghan Taliban: “No Trust Possible—Act Like a State, Not a Militant Group”

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued a strong warning, stating that expecting anything positive from the Afghan Taliban regime would be “a great mistake.” Speaking on Geo News, he said that the Taliban are a group driven by self-interest who lack any code of conduct or moral responsibility.

According to Asif, Pakistan’s international partners want peace in the region and will soon intervene, which may leave the Taliban isolated. “Once the factory of terrorism ends, opportunities for lawful livelihood will emerge,” he said. He added that trusting the Taliban is pointless, as their actions contradict their claims of religious adherence.
“Our forces are highly disciplined, while Taliban have no code of conduct,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also delivered a strong message during a briefing with senior journalists. He said the Taliban government must act like a state rather than a non-state actor. He questioned how long the Taliban would continue as an ‘interim government’ and demanded an immediate ban on non-custom-paid vehicles, citing their use in several terrorist attacks.

He said Pakistan cannot tolerate a situation where terrorists launch attacks while trade continues as normal. “Blood and business cannot run together,” he declared.
He clarified that Pakistan is not against the Afghan people but against terrorism, and that there is no concept of ‘good Taliban’ or ‘bad Taliban’ for the Pakistani state.

Lt Gen Chaudhry added that Pakistan never attacks civilians and when it takes action, it does so openly. He urged the Afghan regime to carry out verifiable operations against terrorists, stressing that talks will not proceed without such action.