‘Complete unanimity of views’; Khawaja Asif rejects Afghan regime’s remarks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday rejected the remarks attributed to the Afghan Taliban’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, regarding the country’s political and military leadership, terming it “malicious and misleading”.

In a statement posted on X, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said, “There exists complete unanimity of views among all Pakistanis, including the country’s political and military leadership, regarding Pakistan’s security policies and its comprehensive approach toward Afghanistan.”

“The people of Pakistan, especially those of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are fully aware of the treacherous and barbaric patronization of Indian-sponsored terrorism by the Afghan Taliban regime and harbor no illusions about its intent or conduct,” he wrote.

Denying the claim, Khawaja Asif said that, in fact, it is the non-representative Afghan Taliban regime that “suffers from deep internal factionalism” and is responsible for the continued oppression of Afghan ethnicities, women, children, and minorities, while stifling fundamental rights of expression, education, and representation.

“Even after four years in power, the regime has failed to fulfill the promises made to the international community, and now attempts to mask its lack of cohesion, stability, and governance capacity through rhetoric and by serving as a proxy for external elements,” he wrote.

“In contrast, Pakistan’s policy to protect its citizens from cross-border terrorism and the perverted ideology of Khawarij remains unified, unwavering, and firmly anchored in national interest as well as in the pursuit of regional peace and stability,” he stated.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information dismissed the “deliberate twisting of facts” made by the Afghan Taliban’s spokesperson regarding the recent Istanbul talks between the two countries

In a statement on X, the ministry said Pakistan had demanded that terrorists based in Afghanistan and posing a threat to Pakistan either be controlled or arrested.