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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday warned India that any aggression would be met with a &ldquo;swift, calibrated, and decisive&rdquo; response, after his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, issued fresh warnings amid rising regional tensions.&nbsp;The exchange underscores renewed friction between the nuclear-armed neighbors months after a brief but intense conflict in May 2025, raising concerns for international observers about escalation risks in South Asia, at a time when the world is already grappling with heightened instability in the Middle East following the ongoing Iran crisis and widening regional tensions.&nbsp;Addressing a Sainik Sammelan in Indian state of Kerala, Singh said India remained alert to the possibility of &ldquo;hostile actions from across the border&rdquo; and cautioned that any such move would be met with a &ldquo;firm and decisive response,&rdquo; according to Indian media reports.&nbsp;Referring to India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Operation Sindoor,&rdquo; Singh claimed Indian forces had brought Pakistan &ldquo;to its knees&rdquo; within 22 minutes and warned that further provocation could trigger &ldquo;unprecedented action.&rdquo;&nbsp;Responding sharply, Asif dismissed the remarks as part of a &ldquo;predictable pattern,&rdquo; accusing New Delhi of &ldquo;externalising internal fragility&rdquo; and attempting to &ldquo;provoke escalation&rdquo; under the guise of &ldquo;unsubstantiated allegations&rdquo; for political purposes.&nbsp;&ldquo;Such threat-mongering from India is not new,&rdquo; Asif said, adding that the rhetoric reflected &ldquo;not strength, but visible strategic anxiety.&rdquo;&nbsp;He warned that &ldquo;miscalculation has consequences,&rdquo; saying recent history remained &ldquo;fresh in our minds,&rdquo; and cautioned that any future confrontation would draw an even more &ldquo;forceful and decisive&rdquo; response.&nbsp;Reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s official position, Asif said the country remained committed to peace and regional stability but its &ldquo;resolve to defend sovereignty is absolute.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Our preparedness is complete, and our response will be swift, calibrated, and decisive,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He further cautioned that the notion of conventional conflict between two nuclear-armed states was &ldquo;inconceivable&rdquo; and would carry &ldquo;drastic consequences.&rdquo;&nbsp;The latest war of words follows a four-day conflict in May 2025, triggered by a militant attack on civilians in Indian-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack, a charge Pakistan firmly rejected. The fighting, involving missile, drone and artillery strikes, marked the deadliest cross-border escalation since 2019 and ended only after a US-brokered ceasefire.

Foreign Affairs

Security

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says Pakistan will respond swiftly, decisively to India’s warnings, calling its rhetoric a sign of “strategic anxiety” as tensions rise months after the May 2025 conflict.

Pakistan issues tit-for-tat warning after Indian defense minister remarks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed at least 145 terrorists during nearly 40 hours of intelligence-based operations across southwestern Balochistan following coordinated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-reaffirms-resolve-after-security-forces-kill-108-indianbacked-terrorists" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">attacks</a>&nbsp;by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), provincial authorities confirmed on Sunday. Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti&nbsp;<a href="https://www.radio.gov.pk/01-02-2026/no-place-for-terrorists-in-balochistan-cm-sarfraz" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>&nbsp;militants carried out simultaneous attacks in 12 towns, including the provincial capital, resulting in the martyrdom of 17 security personnel and the killing of 31 civilians. &ldquo;The bodies of 145 terrorists are in the custody of the authorities,&rdquo; Bugti said, adding that intelligence agencies had received advance warnings of the attacks, prompting pre-emptive operations a day earlier. Bugti said Nushki has been completely cleared and confirmed that militants failed to breach sensitive areas, including the Red Zone. He said that in Gwadar, terrorists killed five women and three children from a Baloch family belonging to Khuzdar and also targeted a labor colony. &ldquo;Why are Baloch people being turned into fuel for violence at India&rsquo;s behest?&rdquo; Bugti asked. Rejecting calls for dialogue with the BLA, he said the group was not a political entity. &ldquo;Is the BLA a registered political party that talks can be held with it?&rdquo; he asked, stating that the group sought to impose its ideology through violence. Reaffirming the state&rsquo;s resolve, Bugti declared: &ldquo;We will not surrender. They may try to destabilize us, but they cannot take a single inch of our country.&rdquo; &ldquo;Our blood is not cheap,&rdquo; he added, warning that the land would be &ldquo;turned into hell for terrorists.&rdquo; Bugti rejected claims of indiscriminate force, saying the operations were limited and intelligence-based, and that heavy firepower was deliberately avoided to prevent civilian casualties. He described Balochistan as a conflict zone and said Pakistan was fighting India&rsquo;s proxy networks, vowing that the state was prepared to continue the fight &ldquo;for a thousand years if required&rdquo; to restore peace. Separately, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said coordinated attacks were launched on Saturday at 12 locations across Balochistan in an attempt to cause mass casualties and offset recent losses suffered by the BLA and its affiliates. Addressing a press conference in the eastern city of Sialkot, Asif said the attacks reflected &ldquo;two sides of the same coins, India and the BLA.&rdquo; &ldquo;The BLA is operating as an Indian proxy,&rdquo; he said, adding that intelligence reports and confessional statements from arrested militants clearly traced the links of the attacks back to India. He said suicide attacks were attempted on Frontier Corps headquarters in Nushki and Dalbandin, while multiple other locations were targeted simultaneously. &ldquo;Due to timely action by security forces, all attempts were foiled,&rdquo; he said, confirming that 11 security personnel were martyred during recent engagements and that over 100 militants had been killed in the past two days, with the toll expected to rise. Asif expressed grave concern over the exploitation of women and children by terrorist groups, saying vulnerable populations were being systematically radicalized. He said Pakistan was fighting a decisive war against the BLA and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and warned that facilitators of terrorism would face the same fate as militants. &ldquo;The fight against terrorism transcends political differences,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Loyalty is to the nation and the soil alone.&rdquo; Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar strongly condemned what he described as &ldquo;cowardly and heinous coordinated terrorist attacks&rdquo; in Balochistan. &ldquo;These attacks were aimed at undermining the safety and security of our people and the stability of the province and Pakistan,&rdquo; Dar said. He praised the response of the security forces, stating, &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s Armed Forces, Frontier Corps, Police and Law Enforcement Agencies responded with exemplary courage and professionalism, neutralizing the terrorists and protecting civilian lives.&rdquo; &ldquo;We pay profound tribute to the Shuhada whose supreme sacrifices will forever remain a source of strength and pride for the nation,&rdquo; Dar added, reaffirming Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms.&rdquo; The international community continued to condemn the attacks following Saturday&rsquo;s violence. Norway strongly denounced the terrorist attacks in Balochistan, extending its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The United Arab Emirates, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the attacks &ldquo;in the strongest terms,&rdquo; reaffirming its rejection of violence, extremism, and terrorism, and expressing sincere condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the government and people of Pakistan. The United States Embassy in Islamabad also strongly condemned the January 31 attacks, claimed by the BLA, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. &ldquo;On behalf of the United States, I extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims of terrorism, their families, and all those affected,&rdquo; US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker said. Earlier, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, T&uuml;rkiye, Qatar, and the United States had also denounced the attacks. Pakistani officials reiterated that counterterrorism operations will continue under the national vision to eliminate terrorism and safeguard civilians, sovereignty, and national integrity.<div class="fr-embed"> </div>

Security personnel cordon off a road leading to the blast site in Quetta on February 1, 2026, a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. A day after more than 120 people were killed -- including 92 militants -- in brazen, coordinated attacks by Baloch s

The US, UAE, and Norway join global condemnation as Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says India orchestrated coordinated Balochistan attacks, resulting in 31 civilian and 17 security personnel casualties

Pakistani leaders vow action as security forces kill 145 terrorists in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Defense Minister Khwaja Asif on Tuesday emphasized that the army is not conducting large-scale operations in Tirah Valley and has no role in the migration, during a media briefing in Islamabad.&nbsp;The defense minister was holding the briefing along with the Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Information Ikhtiar Wali.&nbsp;Asif stated that there was &ldquo;no queston&rdquo; for a military operation in the erstwhile tribal valley, now merged into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the constitutional amendment.&nbsp;Last week, the information minister issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/no-directive-issued-for-depopulation-of-tirah-valley-pakistan-information-ministry" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">statement rejecting claims</a>&nbsp;that the federal government or the armed forces have issued directives to depopulate Tirah Valley.&nbsp;The statement called the allegations &ldquo;baseless&rdquo; and &ldquo;misleading.&rdquo; The ministry said it had taken notice of reports and social media claims alleging that residents of the valley were being forced to leave the area on the orders of the military.&nbsp;&ldquo;These assertions are baseless, malicious, and driven by ulterior motives aimed at creating alarm among the public, spreading disinformation against security institutions, and furthering vested political interests,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The clarification comes amid reports that residents of Tirah Valley tehsil in Khyber district had begun leaving their homes in anticipation of a possible security operation in the volatile border region near Afghanistan, which has experienced a surge in militant activity in recent months.&nbsp;&ldquo;It was strategically decided then that intelligence-based operations (IBO) are way more effective than operations&rdquo;, the defense minister added stating that &ldquo;the collateral damage is way less.&rdquo;&nbsp; The minister stated that the armed forces have stopped the operation since years now &ldquo;in favor of the IBOs.&rdquo; &ldquo;There are approximately 500 TTP-related individuals present in the population, the military focuses on &quot;weeding them out&quot; through targeted intelligence rather than clearing out entire populations, &rdquo; Asif added. Taliban arrivalThe defense minister stated that since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan, terrorism in Pakistan has increased &quot;many folds.&quot; He added that despite the five attempts made for negotiation, no guarantees have been secured, partly due to &ldquo;internal rifts between the Taliban factions in Kabul and Kandahar.&rdquo; Responding to a question of migration, the minister added that seasonal shifts have moved the onset of heavy snowfall and winters further into the year, making &ldquo;January migration a logical response to the current weather patterns&rdquo;

Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Khawaja Asif, Attaullah Tarar at a press conference on Tuesday January 27, 2026 (PTV Live)

Defense Minister Khwaja Asif denies any large-scale military operation or forced displacement in Tirah Valley, saying intelligence-based actions continue, migration is seasonal, and rising terrorism since the Taliban takeover has complicated security efforts, nationwide stability.

Pakistan not conducting 'military operation' in Tirah Valley: Defense minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Tuesday that the country demonstrated its military preparedness and operational capability during the May 2025 conflict with India, earning international recognition and boosting confidence in the country&rsquo;s defense sector.&nbsp;Speaking on Geo News program &quot;Capital Talk,&quot; Asif said Pakistan was &ldquo;ready and proved its abilities in the May war,&rdquo; adding that the confrontation highlighted the armed forces&rsquo; resolve and effectiveness. &nbsp;Asif said the conflict exposed India&rsquo;s strategic weaknesses and damaged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s credibility at home and abroad.&nbsp;&ldquo;India reached out to the United States and also contacted China during the fighting,&rdquo; Asif said. &ldquo;Despite that, Pakistan delivered a decisive response.&rdquo;&nbsp;He warned that any future aggression would be met in the same way.&nbsp;Asif said Pakistan&rsquo;s aircraft and weapons systems were tested during the conflict and have since attracted international attention. &ldquo;Our military platforms have drawn global interest,&rdquo; he said. When asked whether Pakistan was prepared to fight on both its eastern and western borders in 2026, Asif said, &ldquo;Yes, we are completely ready, and we proved our preparedness in May last year.&rdquo;&nbsp;Reduced reliance on IMFThe minister said growing defense procurement orders reflect rising international confidence in Pakistan&rsquo;s military capabilities.&nbsp;&ldquo;This trend can help reduce Pakistan&rsquo;s reliance on the International Monetary Fund within six months,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The two nuclear-armed neighbors went to war in May after India launched what Pakistan described as an unprovoked attack following the killing of tourists in Indian-occupied Kashmir.&nbsp;India has accused Pakistani nationals of carrying out the attack, a claim Islamabad has denied. Pakistan has instead called for a neutral, international investigation.&nbsp;The fighting ended on May 10 with a US-brokered ceasefire.&nbsp;Asif said the May conflict reinforced Pakistan&rsquo;s defense readiness and deterrence posture, adding that the country&rsquo;s armed forces are respected worldwide.&nbsp;He also raised concerns about regional security, alleging links between India and militant groups, including the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and the Afghan Taliban.&nbsp;Responding to a question on global affairs, Asif said Russia had &ldquo;some justifications&rdquo; for its actions in Ukraine but said the Venezuelan conflict had &ldquo;no legal or moral basis,&rdquo; warning that the global order is under strain.&nbsp;Commenting on Israel, Asif called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the world&rsquo;s &ldquo;most wanted criminal&rdquo; and a &ldquo;worst perpetrator against humanity.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added, &ldquo;If the United States truly stands for human rights, Netanyahu should be brought to trial.&rdquo;

Says the country is prepared to counter threats on both eastern and western fronts, stressing deterrence against India and warning of militant risks linked to Afghanistan.

Pakistan defense minister says May conflict proved military readiness, deterrence strength

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif rejected what he called &ldquo;baseless propaganda&rdquo; about the safety and operations of the national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on Monday. In a statement on X (Twitter), the minister said flight safety is &ldquo;non-negotiable&rdquo; and regulated by Pakistani and international authorities. He said that &ldquo;unqualified people cannot dictate it.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 368px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1987825916165431715&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=41083d636fb3f2062963698455b96286b669c5c0&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> The minister stated that PIA&rsquo;s average daily revenue over the past three days stood at Rs600 million ($2.1 million), achieved through uninterrupted domestic and international flight schedules. The minister said detractors were spreading malicious news to harm Pakistan&rsquo;s national interests and &ldquo;sabotage&rdquo; PIA&rsquo;s progress. He said the airline has been steadily improving after years of effort to restore profitability. According to the statement, PIA continues to operate flights as scheduled, serving destinations including Toronto, Manchester, Paris, Saudi Arabia, China, and the Far East. Plans to expand to Europe and North America are also in the works.

Economy

Pakistan’s defence minister rejected 'baseless propaganda' over PIA’s safety, saying flights meet international standards and recent revenues hit PKR600 million daily.

‘Propaganda in the air’: Pakistan rejects claims of PIA safety issues

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will carry out military strikes inside Afghanistan to target militant hideouts if ongoing talks in Istanbul fail to produce written guarantees preventing cross‑border attacks, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told Pakistan TV Digital in a wide‑ranging interview on Thursday.&nbsp;&ldquo;If we do not receive any arrangement or any agreement or any assurance from the other side that there&rsquo;ll be no incursions into our territory sponsored by Kabul, then obviously the only option we are left with is that we&rsquo;ll cross into their territory and bomb the hideouts of [the Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan],&rdquo; the minister said.&nbsp;Asif said four days of negotiations in Istanbul ended without a conclusion because the Afghan delegation offered only &ldquo;verbal guarantees but refused to commit in writing.&rdquo; He described the Afghan stance as &ldquo;stubbornness&rdquo; and said Pakistan could not accept assurances that were not formalized.&nbsp;&ldquo;We did not reach anywhere on this particular demand,&rdquo; he said, adding that the earlier preliminary accord reached in Doha, which took 11 hours to draft, left implementation mechanisms to be decided in later talks. T&uuml;rkiye and Qatar acted as mediators in the process, and Pakistan has sought their backing and monitoring for any new arrangement.&nbsp;After the Istanbul talks nearly collapsed this week, Turkish mediators persuaded the Pakistani delegation to give the process another chance.&nbsp;&ldquo;My optimism will be very, very guarded,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I won&rsquo;t pin unnecessary hopes on what is going on in Istanbul.&rdquo;&nbsp;Kabul sheltering TTPReiterating Islamabad&rsquo;s long-standing concern, Asif says the TTP is &ldquo;based mainly in Afghanistan&rdquo; and receives support from elements within the Kabul regime. &ldquo;They deny it publicly, but admit it privately,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Pakistan, he added, has repeatedly reported attacks on soldiers and checkposts that it says originate from Afghan soil.&nbsp;&lsquo;We will not be threatened&rsquo;&nbsp;Responding to reports in Taliban‑linked and Afghan media of possible attacks on Islamabad, the defense minister said he would &ldquo;not speculate&rdquo; but made clear Pakistan would not be intimidated. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t budge or get pressurized by their threats. We are ready to face anything,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll pay a very heavy price for anything they are doing now or they intend to do in the future.&rdquo;&nbsp;Trade and smuggling concernsAsif highlighted the long‑term humanitarian burden Pakistan has borne, saying the country has hosted &ldquo;close to four million Afghan refugees&rdquo; for the past four to five decades. He said Afghanistan has shown &ldquo;absolutely no regard or respect for what Pakistan has done for Afghanistan over the decades.&rdquo;&nbsp;The minister also raised concerns about the misuse of transit‑trade facilities.&nbsp;&ldquo;This sort of facility is being misused for decades by Afghans and perhaps in collusion with some Pakistani businessmen,&rdquo; he said, adding trucks and containers bound for Kabul are often offloaded on Pakistani soil and diverted into local markets.&nbsp;On the economic impact of a breakdown in ties, Asif said Pakistan could &ldquo;survive&rdquo; without transit trade, but warned the loss would be more painful for land‑locked Afghanistan.&nbsp;He reiterated his support for enhanced regional connectivity, linking Central Asia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, saying such ties could &ldquo;change the economic map of this particular region&rdquo; if Afghanistan embraces intra‑regional trade.&nbsp;Tri-service drills in IndiaTurning to wider regional tensions, Asif said Pakistan was monitoring Indian tri‑service exercises in the Sir Creek area near the Arabian Sea. While he called military drills &ldquo;routine,&rdquo; he warned that the current peace with India remains &ldquo;very tense&rdquo; and fragile.&nbsp;&ldquo;If there is some incursion or some provocation from the Indian side, it will be responded in kind and responded well,&rdquo; he said.

In a wide-ranging interview with Pakistan TV Digital, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif discusses Istanbul talks, trade with Afghanistan, and tri-service drills in India.

Pakistan warns of strikes unless Kabul provides written anti-TTP assurances

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday issued a strong warning to the Afghan Taliban regime, saying Pakistan does not need to employ even a fraction of its full military strength to &ldquo;completely obliterate&rdquo; the Taliban government if provoked. In a statement shared on social media, the minister said Pakistan had engaged in dialogue with the Taliban only at the request of &ldquo;brotherly countries&rdquo; who had urged Islamabad to give peace a chance. However, he said &ldquo;venomous statements by certain Afghan officials&rdquo; reflected the &ldquo;devious and splintered mindset&rdquo; of the Taliban regime.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,&rdquo; Asif wrote, warning that a repeat of the scenes of their rout at Tora Bora &ldquo;would surely be a spectacle to watch for the people of the region.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1983426574272868408&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=e5a7764e4b5f3f5afda3241472f87810c34e2d03&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> The minister accused the Taliban government of &ldquo;blindly pushing Afghanistan into yet another conflict&rdquo; to sustain its &ldquo;usurped rule and war economy.&rdquo; He said the regime was using &ldquo;hollow war cries&rdquo; to maintain a crumbling fa&ccedil;ade despite knowing its limitations.&nbsp;&ldquo;If the Afghan Taliban regime is madly hellbent upon ruining Afghanistan and its innocent people once again, then so be it,&rdquo; he stated.&nbsp;Asif also dismissed the Taliban&rsquo;s claim of Afghanistan being the &ldquo;graveyard of empires,&rdquo; saying, &ldquo;Pakistan certainly doesn&rsquo;t claim to be an empire, but Afghanistan is definitely a graveyard &mdash; surely for its own people.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that the &ldquo;war mongers&rdquo; within the Taliban regime had misread Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve and warned that any terrorist attack or suicide bombing inside Pakistan would be met with a decisive response.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have borne your treachery and mockery for too long, but no more. Any terrorist attack inside Pakistan shall give you the bitter taste of such misadventures,&rdquo; Asif cautioned. &ldquo;Test our resolve and capabilities, if you wish so, at your own peril and doom.&rdquo;&nbsp;The remarks come amid growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul following a series of cross-border attacks that Pakistani officials have blamed on militants operating from Afghan soil.

Says “venomous statements by certain Afghan officials” reflected the “devious and splintered mindset” of the Taliban regime.

Articles tagged with "Defense Minister Khawaja Asif"