Pakistan's Defense Minister Claims India Orchestrating Two-Front Conflict Through Afghan Proxy

Asif repeated his allegation that Kabul was acting as a "proxy for India" during recent border conflicts.

Pakistan has again made unsubstantiated claims connecting India to its escalating tensions with neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reinforced his 'proxy war' narrative, claiming that New Delhi is deliberately creating pressure on Islamabad from both eastern and western borders, specifically referencing recent clashes with Taliban forces along the Durand Line and Pakistan's airstrikes on Kabul.

"If evidence is required, we possess information about India's involvement in terrorism [in Pakistan] and how it aims to keep us engaged on two fronts: the eastern and western," stated the Pakistani Defence Minister during his interview with Geo News.

Despite these serious allegations, Asif failed to provide any concrete evidence supporting his claims.

Regarding the recent ceasefire agreement with Afghanistan, Asif expressed hope that mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey would produce positive outcomes.

"There is unanimous support - from politicians, the establishment, and the Pakistani populace - that an immediate resolution to the Afghanistan issue is crucial, specifically that terrorist activities from Afghan territory must be completely eliminated," he emphasized.

Asif also doubled down on his previous assertion that Kabul participated in the border confrontation while functioning as a "proxy for India," suggesting that Taliban leadership was being manipulated by New Delhi.

"The individuals in Kabul pulling the strings and orchestrating the puppet show are themselves being controlled by Delhi," he had previously stated while speaking to Dawn.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Friday to maintain their truce following a rapid deterioration of diplomatic relations and a brief military conflict along their shared border last month, which represented the most severe clashes between the South Asian neighbors since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

More than 70 individuals lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries in violence that erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Taliban authorities attributed to Islamabad.

Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied these accusations but maintains that terrorist organizations such as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to experience an increase in terrorist incidents, with multiple security personnel killed during "intelligence-based operations".