Defence minister warns Afghanistan of ‘open war’ if Kabul fails to act against terrorists
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday warned Afghanistan that if Kabul failed to stop harbouring terrorists. Pakistan would respond in the same way it had againstIndialast year.
Addressing the National Assembly. Asif said: “If they are not ready, then what we did with Delhi, we will do the same with Kabul.” The minister asserted that Afghanistan had effectively become an instrument of Indian policy.
“At this time, Afghanistan has become India’s proxy,” he said, adding: “Kabul is fighting a Hindutva war against us,”. that “there is no difference between Delhi and Kabul at this time,” although Pakistan sincerely wished otherwise.
Asif said Pakistan had repeatedly attempted to engage Afghanistan through diplomatic channels, including via Turkiye, Saudi Arabia,. Qatar, but those efforts had failed to yield results. “Innegotiationsin Qatar, Afghanistan agreed to everything. later refused to give guarantees,” he said, adding that Kabul was willing to agree verbally but not in writing.
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He said Pakistan’s primary demand was a written commitment from Kabul ensuring that Afghan territory would not be used to launch attacks against Pakistan. that terrorists operating there would be expelled.
“The Kabul government is not willing to guarantee. its territory will not be used for attacks against Pakistan,” he said. “Afghanistan is not willing to expel terrorists from its territory. Afghanistan is not willing to stop terrorists either.”
The minister added that Pakistan remained open to talks if Kabul provided written assurances against terrorism.
Referring to a recent attack inBannu, Asif said many people had been martyred. that the Pakistan Army continued to make sacrifices. “We are being forced into war because of this situation,” he said. adding that following India’s defeat last year, New Delhi was now acting through Afghanistan.
On the diplomatic front. Asif said backchannel efforts through a third country were still ongoing, though he declined to provide further details. “Talks are still ongoing through a third country, but I cannot say much at this stage,” he said.
Pakistan remains embroiled inongoing clashes with Afghanistansince February 2026. Operation Ghazab Lil Haq waslaunched following clashesalong the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military action by Pakistan.
The neighbouring countries have been engaged in escalating hostilities along the frontier since then. The clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes targeting terrorist positions.
Atemporary pause in the operationwas assumed in deference to Eidul Fitr. requests from Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye. The pause, effective from midnight on March 18-19, 2026, ran until March 23-24, 2026.
However, the operation thenresumed in Marchand since then, the Pakistan Army has continued to respond to unprovoked aggression by the Taliban. Fitna al-Khawarij; a term used for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
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The defence minister also struck a cautiously optimistic note regarding domestic political alignment. saying the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, which had previously been uncooperative, was now on board.
“Earlier, we did not have the cooperation of the K-P government; now we do,” he said. “It is good that we are all on the same page that terrorism must end.” However. he warned that if Afghanistan remained unwilling to act, the situation could escalate further. “Then it will be a war — an open war,” he said.
Responding to a query from Asad Qaiser regarding military courts. Asif said the government would soon introduce legislation on the matter. He added that the right to appeal already existed and that several accused individuals had challenged military court verdicts. “Many have challenged the jurisdiction of military courts,” he said.
Regarding the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the minister acknowledged that the promised resources had yet to be provided. “The share due to former FATA is not only the responsibility of the federation; provinces must also contribute,” he said. As soon as the provinces agree, he added, the region would receive its due rights.
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