Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif cries ‘proxy war’ — says ‘Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi’

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused Kabul of acting as a proxy for India in the ongoing tensions.

In a televised interview with Geo News, Asif said, “Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi,” expressing scepticism about the ceasefire’s chances of holding.

Pakistan's Foreign Office on Wednesday announced a temporary ceasefire has been reached with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours following days of intense cross-border clashes between the two sides, Dawn reported.

Also Read: Intense clash erupts at Pakistan-Afghanistan border; Iran, Saudi Arabia call for restraint — What we know so far

According to the Foreign Office, “A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6 pm today, at the request of the Taliban.”

Meanwhile, Asif said, “I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the (Afghan) Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi.” He went on to issue a stark warning, stating that Pakistan is ready to respond militarily if provoked.

Also Read: Trump not so ‘sharif’? US President makes Pakistan PM wait for 60 minutes ahead of White House meeting

“We have the capability and we will attack them... if they escalate or widen the radius of this war,” Asif declared, while also indicating that Pakistan is open to “constructive dialogue.”

The ceasefire, which reportedly began on Wednesday at 13:00 GMT, followed a sharp rise in violence, including alleged Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar and Kabul.

Both sides have accused the other of initiating the truce request.

Pakistan-Afghanistan clash

Over the weekend, Kabul claimed it had struck multiple Pakistani military positions, killing 58 soldiers in response to what it described as repeated breaches of Afghan territory and airspace.

Also Read: Massive blast rocks Kabul; 'more than a dozen' killed after Pakistan airstrikes hit Afghanistan — Video

Pakistan's military, however, reported a lower death toll, stating that 23 of its soldiers were killed while more than 200 “Taliban and affiliated terrorists” were eliminated in retaliatory fire along the border.

Tensions have remained elevated since last week, when the Taliban government accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes in Kabul and at a market in eastern Afghanistan, allegations Islamabad has not officially confirmed.

While Pakistan has denied those specific accusations, it has previously carried out cross-border strikes inside Afghanistan, targeting what it says are hideouts of the TTP, a militant group distinct from but closely aligned with the Afghan Taliban.

Also Read: Trump wants to control Afghanistan's Bagram Airbase again, warns ‘bad things to happen if…’

Islamabad accuses the Taliban-led Afghan government of sheltering the TTP, which has orchestrated numerous deadly attacks in Pakistan. Kabul, however, denies these claims, insisting it does not permit its territory to be used for hostile actions against other nations.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring armed groups, a charge rejected by the country’s Taliban rulers. Pakistan is grappling with militant attacks that have increased since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s border regions have experienced violence since 1979, when it became a frontline state in the U.S.-backed war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies)