Pakistan's Defence Minister Warns of Readiness for Two-Front War with India and Afghanistan

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has made provocative statements claiming that Islamabad is "fully prepared" for a two-front war with India and Afghanistan. These remarks come in the aftermath of a car attack in New Delhi that resulted in 13 fatalities, which security forces attribute to a terrorist affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group.

In his interview with a media channel, Asif declared, "We are ready; we are prepared to face both the eastern (India) and western (Afghanistan) borders. Allah helped us in round one, and He will help us in round two."

He further escalated tensions by adding, "If they want the final round, we have no option but war."

The Pakistani minister's inflammatory comments followed a bombing in Islamabad that claimed 12 lives. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attributed the attack to groups allegedly "supported by India," though the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had already claimed responsibility for the incident.

Previously, in an interview with Geo News, Asif had issued threats of "war" against Kabul following terrorist attacks in Islamabad. He accused the Afghan Taliban regime of harboring terrorists responsible for violence in Pakistan and suggested that Islamabad was "compelled" to conduct strikes on Afghanistan.

Asif also claimed that there was no "united government" in Kabul, describing the Taliban regime as comprised of various factions with different interests. He alleged, "Some are linked with India, and some have their strings being pulled from elsewhere, so both of these incidents, I think, are a prelude to a coming aggression that could happen from the Afghan side; actually, it will be Indian aggression that is being waged in our country through the route of Afghanistan."

He cautioned both India and Afghanistan against any "misadventure," threatening that Pakistan would "pay back in the same coin."

"Pakistan will never initiate any military adventure; however, we will not let any act of aggression go unanswered; we will respond forcefully," he stated.

In previous interviews, Asif has made unsubstantiated claims that Kabul is fighting "India's proxy war" along the Durand Line.