DID Press: Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, urged restraint in rhetoric and warned against threatening airstrikes on Kabul, stressing that counterterrorism should be pursued through calibrated, intelligence-led operations rather than escalatory language.
Writing on X on Friday, Durrani said threats of air attacks are not an effective solution and cautioned that increasingly confrontational rhetoric damages the regional climate and constricts diplomatic space.
His remarks followed comments by Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defense minister, who said Islamabad would not hesitate to conduct airstrikes against Kabul if deemed necessary.
Referring to Islamabad’s concerns over the presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan inside Afghan territory, Durrani said Pakistan’s anger is understandable, but targeted, intelligence-based operations would be more effective than public threats.
He also called for the reopening of trade routes that have remained closed since 11 October, underscoring that economic engagement should not be sidelined by security tensions.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities have deteriorated in recent months over Islamabad’s claims that armed groups operate from Afghan soil—an allegation Kabul has repeatedly denied. The closure of border crossings has disrupted trade flows, affecting businesses and civilians on both sides of the frontier.
Durrani’s comments reflect a growing debate inside Pakistan over how to balance security concerns with the need to preserve diplomatic and economic relations with Afghanistan.