Gen. Asim Munir Urges Afghan Taliban To Choose Between Islamabad Or The Pakistani Taliban

Pakistan's newly appointed armed forces chief, Gen. Asim Munir, on Monday publicly urged Afghanistan's Taliban government to decide between maintaining ties with Islamabad or supporting the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP), a militant group blamed for a surge in deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

Munir delivered the message at his Rawalpindi headquarters during a ceremony marking the launch of a unified Defence Forces Headquarters, where he received a guard of honor from the army, navy and air force. The new tri-service command, officials say, is intended to improve coordination across land, air, sea, cybersecurity and information domains.

According to a military statement, Munir said the establishment of the Defence Forces Headquarters is a "historic step" to strengthen joint operational readiness amid rising regional security threats. He said a "clear message" had been sent to the Taliban government in Kabul: it must choose between Pakistan and what Pakistani authorities term "Fitna al-Khawarij," a label applied to the outlawed TTP.

The TTP, while organizationally distinct from the Afghan Taliban, is widely regarded as closely aligned with them and has become more audacious since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. There was no immediate response from Kabul to Munir's remarks.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated since deadly border clashes in October that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants and wounded hundreds more. That violence followed explosions in Kabul on Oct. 9 that Taliban authorities blamed on Pakistan. A Qatar-mediated ceasefire has largely held since October, but three rounds of talks in Istanbul failed to produce a final agreement in November.

Munir has risen in prominence following a recent four-day confrontation between Pakistan and India, during which both sides exchanged strikes after India accused militants based in Pakistan of involvement in the killing of 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. The confrontation eased after a U.S.-announced agreement calling for a "full and immediate ceasefire." Munir described his forces' actions in that clash as a "textbook example" of future warfare and presented awards to navy and air force personnel for their roles.

Munir's Warning To India: "India must remain under no illusion that Pakistan’s next response will be even swifter and more severe," he said, while also stressing that Pakistan seeks peace but will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pakistan and India have a long history of bitter relations and have fought three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir since independence in 1947. Munir's remarks and the creation of a unified Defence Forces Headquarters underscore Islamabad's focus on strengthening military coordination as regional tensions persist.