Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishaq Dar has described a symbolic 2021 visit to Kabul by a former intelligence chief as a “costly cup of tea,” admitting it triggered long-lasting security challenges for the country. Speaking during a Senate session in Islamabad on Wednesday, Dar criticized the decision by General Faiz Hameed, then head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to travel to Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. The visit, he said, facilitated the return of militant groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) into Pakistan, worsening the domestic terror threat.

“Pakistan has done so much outreach that when we go there, we say we are here for a cup of tea. But that cup of tea cost us the most. It was a big mistake and should not be repeated,” Dar remarked. Without naming Hameed directly, the minister accused the previous Imran Khan-led government of making disastrous decisions that reopened the border and allowed thousands of Taliban fighters to re-enter Pakistan. “That cup of tea reopened the entire border. Around 35,000 to 40,000 Taliban who had fled came back, and hardened criminals who had burned Pakistan’s flag and martyred people were released,” he added.

Dar further claimed that terrorist incidents in Pakistan had surged after the Taliban’s rise to power in 2021, alleging that groups like TTP, Fitna al-Khawarij, and the Balochistan Liberation Army were being sheltered and allowed to operate from Afghan soil. He said Pakistan had engaged Kabul repeatedly over the issue and lodged strong protests through diplomatic channels. “I have had six phone conversations with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi regarding these attacks,” Dar said, emphasizing Islamabad’s concern over cross-border militancy.

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However, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Dar’s claims, stating that they lacked accuracy. Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the spokesperson for the Afghan ministry, clarified on X that only one phone call was held between the foreign ministers and that it was conducted in an atmosphere of “mutual understanding and coordination.” Ahmad added that Dar had admitted during the conversation that he was not fully briefed and would follow up after obtaining more details.

Dar expressed hope that upcoming peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, scheduled for November 6 in Istanbul, would yield progress in restoring trust and enhancing border security. This is not the first time the Pakistani minister has publicly criticized Hameed’s Kabul trip; he had previously called it a strategic blunder while speaking at the Pakistan High Commission in London. Meanwhile, tensions between the two nations remain high following cross-border airstrikes and retaliatory attacks in recent weeks. Both sides have agreed to extend a fragile ceasefire during Qatar- and Turkiye-mediated negotiations, with further discussions expected in Istanbul.

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