Pakistan’s defence leadership has declared that the country may launch a full-scale military offensive against the Taliban following the breakdown of peace talks held in Istanbul. The negotiations collapsed after Kabul refused to curb militant groups nesting in Afghanistan that carry out attacks in Pakistan. Pakistani officials claim that dozens of their soldiers and hundreds of militants from Pakistan’s border region have been killed amid escalating cross-border hostilities.
According to Pakistan’s information minister, the Taliban side diverted from core discussions and diluted commitments, leading to the collapse of the process. A cease-fire brokered shortly before failed to hold, triggering renewed firefights along the 1,600-mile frontier. Pakistan’s defence minister warned that the country does not need its full arsenal to “completely obliterate” the Taliban regime and force it into hiding.
The escalation places the region on the brink of a major confrontation, with implications for regional security, refugee flows and the international counter-terrorism framework.