"India's Proxy War": Khawaja Asif's Bizarre Claim On Pak-Afghan Clashes

Pakistan, the nation with a proven track record of sponsoring terrorism on its soil, has accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of "fighting a proxy war" on behalf of India. Casting doubts over the recently brokered 48-hour ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has accused India of "sponsoring" the moves of the Afghan Taliban, even as India has maintained a stringent policy against terrorism over the years.

Speaking to Geo News, Asif said, "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," he alleged.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif says Afghan Taliban is fighting India's Proxy War against Pakistan ! LOL ! What happened to that Strategic Depth of Rawalpindi 🤣😆😂 pic.twitter.com/fqLVRX3eAp

— Navroop Singh (@TheNavroopSingh) October 16, 2025

He further hinted that the Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, had made some ulterior "plans" during his recent six-day visit to India, even though Muttaqi's Delhi visit was officially centred on trade and bilateral relations.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Ceasefire

A 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan took hold late on Wednesday, after dozens of troops and civilians were killed in fresh cross-border skirmishes earlier in the day. The truce began at 6:00 pm Islamabad time, shortly after being announced by both countries, each asserting the other had requested it to end the surge in violence.

According to Pakistan, the ceasefire was expected to last 48 hours.

"During this period, both sides will sincerely strive to find a positive solution to this complex but resolvable issue through constructive dialogue," the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

In Kabul, Afghanistan's Taliban government, in a statement on X, said it had ordered the Afghan army to respect the truce "unless it is violated" by the opposing side.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Clashes

The temporary ceasefire followed a week of violence between the two neighbours.

The Taliban had launched an offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response of its own. Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of harbouring terrorist groups led by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) on its soil, a claim Kabul denies.