Khawaja Asif. Photo: X.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has linked India to Pakistan’s ongoing tensions with Afghanistan, claiming that India “could play dirty at the border” and asserting that Pakistan is prepared for a potential “two-front war.” Speaking in an interview with Samaa TV, Asif was asked about the possibility of Indian provocations along the border. He said, “No, absolutely, you cannot rule that out. There are strong possibilities.”
Asif recalled a prior “encounter” with India “some months ago,” apparently referring to the military clashes following India’s Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He claimed that Pakistani troops had not been moved from the Afghan border during that time.
“The situation is not very good,” he added, referring to Pakistan’s security environment and rising tensions with Afghanistan.
When asked whether he or Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had convened any meetings regarding a potential “two-front war” involving India and Afghanistan, Asif stated that Pakistan had a strategy in place.
“There is a strategy for this. Publicly, we are not discussing it at this time, but we are prepared for any eventuality. We are prepared for that. There is absolutely no doubt about it,” he said, reiterating his claim that India might attempt military action, though he provided no evidence to support it.
Earlier, Asif had accused the Taliban government in Afghanistan of “fighting a proxy war” on behalf of India. Speaking to Geo News earlier this week, he claimed:
“I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the decisions of the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi. Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi.”
These remarks come amid rising friction between Pakistan and Afghanistan after Islamabad reportedly conducted airstrikes in Kabul targeting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud, a move that Kabul denounced as a violation of its sovereignty.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan is willing to hold talks with Afghanistan but only under “legitimate and mutually respectful conditions” following the border clashes.
“Pakistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire at the request of Afghanistan. Now the ball is in Kabul’s court to decide the matter peacefully. We are ready to resolve the issue at the dialogue table,” he said.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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