RAWALPINDI: The Afghan Taliban do not have the capability to absorb the “punishment” Pakistan can inflict in response to threats emanating from Afghanistan, the military’s spokesperson has warned.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Reuters Pakistan possessed the capability to counter threats from the Afghan Taliban, including those involving drones, and was prepared for attempts to test its operational readiness.

“Whatever they want to send, they can; they may try. We have the capability to take them on,” the ISPR DG said in an interview.

“They don’t have, I think, the capability to then absorb the punishment that we can put on them,” he added.

The military spokesperson was responding to a question about the potential threat posed by drones in the hands of the Afghan Taliban and whether Pakistan could face a situation similar to drone threats elsewhere in the region.