Khawaja Asif accuses Taliban of acting as 'proxy for India' amid border tensions with Afghanistan

Khawaja Asif

• Pakistan claims Taliban is making Afghanistan India's colony
• Pakistan declares open war on Taliban after border clashes
• Ties worsen as both sides trade airstrikes and accusations

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Amid the intensifying border clashes with Afghanistan, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif has said that the Taliban has turned Afghanistan into a “colony of India”.

In a post on X, the defence minister said that after the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan, it had been expected that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and ensure peace in the region.

However, he alleged that Taliban “turned Afghanistan into a colony of India," gathered militants and began “exporting terrorism."

“Taliban gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism. They deprived their own people of basic human rights. They snatched away the rights that Islam grants to women," Asif said in a post on X.

Asif also claimed that Pakistan made “every effort" to keep the situation normal through diplomacy and engagement via friendly countries, but claimed attempts were now being made to target Pakistan with aggression.

“Pakistan made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries. It engaged in full-fledged diplomacy. But the Taliban became a proxy for India. Today, when attempts are being made to target Pakistan with aggression, Alhamdulillah, our forces are giving a decisive response at this time," he added.

Declared an “open war" on the Taliban government, Asif said that Islamabad’s patience has reached its limit.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ties

Ties between the two neighbours have sharply deteriorated in recent months, with most land border crossings remaining closed since deadly clashes in October that left over 70 people dead on both sides.

Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of not taking action against militant groups staging attacks in Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban government rejects. Multiple rounds of talks followed an initial ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey, but they have yet to yield a durable settlement.

On Friday, Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul. Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops on Thursday night in what the Taliban government said was retaliation for earlier deadly air strikes.

"Afghan Taliban defence targets were targeted in Kabul, Paktia (province) and Kandahar," Pakistani information minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X, while defence minister Khawaja Asif declared an "all-out confrontation" with the Taliban government.