"India Wants To Keep Pak Busy": Khawaja Asif's Bizarre Two-Front War Claim

Pakistan has once again -- without evidence -- linked India with its ongoing tensions with neighbouring Afghanistan. Doubling down on his 'proxy war' claim, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said New Delhi was keeping Islamabad busy on both eastern and western fronts, referring to the recent clashes with Taliban forces along the Durand Line and airstrikes on Kabul.

"If there is a need for evidence, then we have it about what involvement India has in terrorism [in Pakistan] and how it wants to keep us busy on two fronts: the eastern and western," the Pakistani Defence Minister said while talking to Geo News.

He, however, failed to provide any evidence to back his assumptions.

On the recent ceasefire with Afghanistan, Asif expressed optimism that the mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey will yield positive results.

"Everyone is onboard - politicians, the establishment and the Pakistani nation - that an immediate solution to the Afghanistan issue is very necessary, which is that terrorism from Afghan soil should be completely stopped," he said.

Asif also reiterated his claim that Kabul engaged in the skirmish while acting as a "proxy for India", alleging that the Taliban leadership was being manipulated by New Delhi.

"The people in Kabul pulling the strings and staging the puppet show are being controlled by Delhi," he said earlier, while speaking to Dawn.

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday agreed to continue the truce following a rapid deterioration of ties and a brief conflict along their shared border last month, which marked the worst clashes between the South Asian neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

More than 70 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in violence that erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Taliban authorities blamed on Islamabad. 

Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied the accusation but claimed that terror groups like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are using Afghanistan's soil against Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to face a surge in terrorism, with several security personnel killed during "intelligence-based operations".