Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has sparked controversy with remarks suggesting that India could exploit Islamabad’s growing tensions with Afghanistan, raising the spectre of a potential “two-front war.”
Speaking to Pakistan’s Samaa TV, Asif said there are “strong possibilities” of Indian provocations along the border. When asked if the government had prepared for such a scenario, he replied, “Yes, strategies are in place. I can’t discuss them publicly, but we are prepared for any eventuality.”
Asif’s comments came as Pakistan faces escalating cross-border clashes with Afghanistan. Earlier this week, Islamabad and Kabul agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire following days of intense fighting that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. The Taliban launched an offensive along the southern border, prompting Pakistan to threaten a forceful response.
In a separate interview with Geo News earlier in the week, Asif accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of “fighting a proxy war” on behalf of India. “I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the decisions of the Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi. Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi,” he alleged.
The remarks are particularly striking given Pakistan’s own record of supporting militant groups. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harbouring Pakistani Taliban (TTP) militants, a claim the Taliban government denies.
Asif’s rhetoric reflects Islamabad’s increasingly confrontational stance on two fronts — with Kabul to the west and with New Delhi to the east. His warning that India “could play dirty at the border” comes against the backdrop of historic mistrust between the nuclear-armed neighbours, and adds a volatile new dimension to an already tense regional security environment.