The Taliban government’s Minister of National Defense, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, said in a recent interview with Tolo News that Afghanistan has always tried to resolve its issues with Pakistan through dialogue and negotiations, but according to him, Pakistan has not shown genuine willingness for peace.
He said that negotiations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were ongoing with the mediation of several countries, but in practice it appeared that Pakistan was preparing for war rather than talks. According to him, Pakistan’s demands during the negotiations were also unreasonable.
The defense minister added that Pakistan wanted Afghanistan to recognize the Durand Line as an official international border, but Afghanistan does not accept this demand.
Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid stressed that Afghanistan will not allow any country to threaten the security of Kabul. He warned that if Kabul becomes insecure, Islamabad will not remain safe either.
He said Afghanistan had released a number of Pakistani prisoners as a goodwill gesture and had also sent a message to Pakistan through Saudi Arabia seeking dialogue and understanding. However, according to him, Pakistan responded to that message with the language of war.
The defense minister also claimed that Afghanistan has evidence showing that Pakistan is training and supporting fighters of the ISIS group to wage war in Afghanistan. He said Afghanistan had asked Pakistan not to allow its territory to be used against Afghanistan, to respect Afghanistan’s airspace, and not to use trade as a political tool.
He further stated that Afghanistan has retaliated against Pakistan’s military establishment and that dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed in response to the killing of an Afghan civilian. He emphasized that even if the war lasts for ten years, Afghanistan has the capacity to continue it.
Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid added that the fundamental issue is that Pakistan wants a weak government in Afghanistan that would remain dependent on Islamabad and under its influence in foreign policy matters. According to him, Pakistan fears a strong and independent Afghanistan.
The defense minister called on Afghans to maintain unity and not give space to the country’s enemies. He also thanked the Afghan people for their broad support of Taliban forces.
He stressed that Afghanistan does not seek war, but if the country is attacked, Afghan forces will respond with a strong and decisive reaction. He also said that any insult to Afghanistan’s sovereignty would never be acceptable to Afghans and that Pakistan must respect Afghanistan’s airspace and territorial integrity.
