Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has levelled explosive allegations against India, claiming the Afghan Taliban is waging a "proxy war" on New Delhi's behalf following a week of deadly cross-border clashes with Afghanistan. In a televised interview with Geo News on Wednesday evening, Asif expressed deep scepticism about a freshly brokered 48-hour ceasefire, asserting that Taliban decisions are "sponsored by Delhi" rather than made independently in Kabul.
The remarks, which cast Islamabad's western neighbour as a puppeteer in the escalating violence, come amid strained ties exacerbated by mutual accusations of harbouring militants. Asif's comments have ignited social media backlash, with Indian users mocking the irony given Pakistan's historical support for groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The ceasefire, effective from 6 p.m. Islamabad time on October 15, was announced by both sides after skirmishes that killed dozens of troops and civilians along the porous Durand Line, particularly in Spin Boldak (Afghanistan) and Chaman (Pakistan). Pakistan's Foreign Ministry described it as a Taliban-requested pause for "constructive dialogue", while Kabul's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid countered that it came at Islamabad's "insistence", instructing Afghan forces to hold fire "unless violated".
Violence erupted on October 9 with Taliban offensives, prompting Pakistani airstrikes—including alleged hits on Kabul outskirts—that drew international condemnation from the UN and aid groups like Emergency NGO, which reported five deaths and 40 wounded from explosions alone. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, whose attacks have surged 50% since 2021, per Pakistani military data; Afghanistan denies this, pointing to its own battles against ISIS-Khorasan.
Asif specifically implicated Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's recent six-day visit to India—from October 9 to 16—as a catalyst for the aggression, suggesting it involved "ulterior plans" beyond the official agenda of trade, humanitarian aid, and bilateral ties. Granted a UN travel waiver despite sanctions, Muttaqi's trip marked the first high-level Taliban engagement in New Delhi since 2021, featuring meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and visits to Darul Uloom Deoband seminary and the Taj Mahal.
Discussions focused on boosting Afghan exports like dry fruits, health cooperation, and consular services, with India—having supplied 50,000 tonnes of wheat and medicines since the takeover—reiterating zero tolerance for terrorism from Afghan soil. Analysts view the outreach as pragmatic realpolitik, filling a vacuum left by Pakistan's waning influence, but Asif framed it as evidence of Delhi's meddling.
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The accusation fits a pattern of Pakistani rhetoric deflecting internal security woes onto India, echoing claims during May's Operation Sindoor crisis. On X, reactions ranged from derision—"What happened to Pakistan's 'strategic depth' in Afghanistan?" —to defences of the ceasefire's fragility. Asif warned of military retaliation if violated, underscoring Rawalpindi's readiness amid a regional powder keg involving ISIS, al-Qaeda affiliates, and Baloch insurgents.
India has not officially responded, but experts like those at the Observer Research Foundation dismiss it as "projection", noting Pakistan's documented ISI ties to the Taliban. With the truce set to expire Friday, both sides eye mediation from China and Iran, but Asif's outburst risks derailing de-escalation in a border theatre that has claimed over 200 lives this year.
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