Khawaja Asif warns of possible air strikes inside Afghanistan

Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has described recent militant attacks inside Pakistan as the result of a proxy war involving the Taliban and India, warning that Islamabad would not hesitate to carry out air operations within Afghanistan if necessary.

Speaking in an interview with a French broadcasting outlet, he was asked whether Pakistan would continue operations inside Afghanistan, including in Kabul and Kandahar. In response, he said the option had always been available and could be exercised.

“We will not hesitate to act,” he stated, adding that there would be no conflict if Kabul could guarantee peace.

However, he alleged that elements within Afghanistan were providing patronage and participating in conspiracies against Pakistan.

The defence minister claimed that attacks on Pakistan were the outcome of a proxy campaign backed by the Taliban and India.

He further alleged that New Delhi, Kabul and militant groups were involved in assaults on Pakistani territory.

Referring to banned outfits such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State, he said these groups were present in Afghanistan and could not operate against Pakistan without the consent or support of authorities in Kabul.

Khawaja Asif maintained that if Afghanistan’s leadership provided assurances of peace, hostility could be avoided.

However, he argued that as long as such groups were operating from Afghan soil, responsibility lay with those exercising effective control there.

He also revealed that some friendly countries had attempted to mediate between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He said he had participated in meetings held in Istanbul, Doha and Kabul, but acknowledged that those efforts had yielded no tangible results.