Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has reignited tensions in the region with a fresh accusation that India is attempting to keep Pakistan “preoccupied” on both its eastern and western borders. In an interview with Geo News, Asif claimed that ongoing mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkiye were showing promise, but alleged that New Delhi was simultaneously pursuing a strategy to destabilise Pakistan through proxy forces in Afghanistan.
Asif asserted that India has been “waging a proxy war” against Pakistan since the Ashraf Ghani administration in Kabul, adding that Islamabad possessed evidence and would present it “if necessary.” According to him, India has already “faced setbacks on the eastern front” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “gone silent” in response.
Old Narrative, New Platform
Asif has frequently accused Afghanistan of acting as a “proxy” for New Delhi and warned of a potential “two-front war” during periods of heightened friction along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
He further claimed that the international community was taking note of the issue of Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan for the first time, calling it a major diplomatic shift. Asif said recent discussions included a clause holding Kabul accountable if any illegal activity originated from Afghan soil. “There has been no hostile activity from our side; the ceasefire violations are being committed by Afghanistan,” Asif asserted, rejecting Kabul’s accusations against Pakistan’s establishment.
Rising Anger And Regional Strain
The minister acknowledged surging public anger in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has seen a rise in cross-border militant attacks. He called for “civilised relations” between the two neighbours, adding that the losses suffered over the past five decades were the “collective losses of both nations.” Critics argue the statement attempts to gloss over Pakistan’s role in fuelling instability in Afghanistan through decades of proxy support.
The comments come days after Pakistan requested peace talks with Afghanistan, just four days after ceasefire negotiations in Turkey collapsed, resulting in renewed firing along the border. Sources cited by TOLO News claimed that during the Istanbul discussions, Pakistan admitted to signing an agreement allowing US drone operations from its territory and conceded it could not withdraw from the pact.
Kabul sought guarantees that Pakistan would not permit drone launches from its soil and would keep its dispute with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) contained internally. While Pakistan initially signalled willingness, talks reportedly derailed after officials in Islamabad intervened with updated instructions.