Amid heightened tensions with the Taliban, Pakistan’s defense minister has said the Taliban are “in fact our own product,” created and supported by Pakistan during its close alliance with the United States.
“Taliban are in fact our own product. We created, nurtured and developed them during our close relations with the U.S. But this group is not trustworthy,” Khawaja Asif said in an interview with local media on Monday, according to Aj News.
Asif added that tensions with the Taliban remain a priority issue for Islamabad and could potentially be resolved through mediation by Qatar or Saudi Arabia.
“We have decided that the country should move toward peace. If someone chooses hostility, our response will not be affection,” he said.
Recent border clashes have further strained relations between the Taliban and Islamabad. In another interview, Asif said Pakistan has had no contact with the Taliban since the latest fighting.
Pakistan claims that 200 Taliban fighters and affiliated militants were killed during Saturday night’s border clashes. The Taliban have said 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the same incident.
The United Nations reported in September that 14 border skirmishes between the Taliban and Pakistani forces had been recorded so far this year.
