Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif accused Kabul of acting as India’s proxy in the ongoing tensions.
In a televised interview with Geo News, Asif said, “Right now, Kabul is waging a proxy war for Delhi,” expressing skepticism about the chances of the ceasefire holding.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Wednesday announced that a temporary ceasefire has been reached with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours after days of intense cross-border clashes between the two sides, Dawn reported.
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According to the Foreign Office, “a temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Government of Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime by mutual consent of both parties for the next 48 hours from 18:00 today at the request of the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Asif said, “I doubt the ceasefire will hold because the (Afghan) Taliban is sponsored by Delhi.” He went on to issue a strong warning, saying that Pakistan was ready to respond militarily if provoked.
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“We have the capabilities and we will attack them … if they escalate or expand the radius of this war,” Asif said, while indicating that Pakistan was open to “constructive dialogue”.
The ceasefire, which reportedly began at 13:00 GMT on Wednesday, followed a sharp increase in violence, including alleged Pakistani airstrikes in Kandahar and Kabul.
Both sides accused each other of initiating the ceasefire request.
Clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Over the weekend, Kabul claimed it attacked several Pakistani military positions, killing 58 soldiers, in response to what it described as repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace.
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However, the Pakistani military reported a lower death toll, saying 23 of its soldiers were killed, while more than 200 “Taliban and associated terrorists” were killed in retaliatory fire along the border.
Tensions have remained high since last week, when the Taliban government accused Pakistan of launching airstrikes in Kabul and a market in eastern Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad has not officially confirmed.
While Pakistan has denied the specific allegations, 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 linked to the Afghan Taliban.
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Islamabad accuses the Taliban-led Afghan government of harboring the TTP, which has orchestrated a series of deadly attacks in Pakistan. However, Kabul denies these claims and insists that it does not allow its territory to be used for hostilities against other nations.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring armed groups, a claim denied by the Taliban rulers. Pakistan has been grappling with militant attacks that have increased since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Right now, Kabul is waging a proxy war for Delhi.
We have the capability and we will attack them… if they escalate or expand the radius of this war.
Pakistan’s border regions have experienced violence since 1979, when it became a frontline state in the US-backed war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
(With input from agencies)
