Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said late Thursday that millions of Afghan refugees must return home, warning that the country can no longer bear the“heavy cost of hospitality.”

In a post on X, Asif accused former prime minister Imran Khan of bringing thousands of Taliban members into Pakistan and providing them shelter during his tenure. He said Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party continues to advocate negotiations with militants even as“the blood of Pakistani soldiers and civilians keeps being shed.”

The minister said years of dialogue with the Taliban had failed to reduce violence, noting that border attacks continue and that“every day, the bodies of our soldiers return from the frontier.”

Asif estimated that around six million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan, adding that the country has paid“for six decades of hospitality with its blood.”

His comments came amid reports of airstrikes hitting parts of Kabul on Thursday night, which local media outlets linked to Pakistan's ongoing operations against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.

The remarks underscore Islamabad's growing frustration over cross-border militancy and the financial burden of hosting millions of Afghan refugees amid worsening security conditions.

Analysts say Pakistan's stance signals a harder line toward Kabul and could further strain relations between the two neighbours already divided over militancy, border control, and refugee management.

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