'Sponsored from Delhi’: Khawaja Asif accuses Afghanistan of fighting 'India's proxy war'

Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif.

With Pakistan and Afghanistan being engaged in severe cross-border clashes, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that Afghanistan is fighting ‘India’s proxy war’. He also cast doubts over the recently agreed ceasefire between the two neighbours after a spate of cross-border clashes.

Khawaja alleged that Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, had made “plans" during his recent six-day visit to India. The visit, which was his first to New Delhi, was officially centred on trade and bilateral relations, but Asif alleged it had other motives.

A 48-hour ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan came into effect late Wednesday after days of intense cross-border clashes that left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead. The truce began at 6 pm Islamabad time (1300 GMT) and was confirmed by both governments, each claiming the other had requested it to halt the escalating violence.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said both sides would “sincerely strive to find a positive solution to this complex but resolvable issue through constructive dialogue" during the ceasefire period.

Dozens of troops and civilians were killed in a fresh round of border skirmishes between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday, officials on both sides of the frontier said, as clashes entered their second week. Violence between the two neighbours has flared since explosions in Afghanistan last week, including two in the capital Kabul, that were blamed on Pakistan.

The Pakistani airstrikes coincided with a rare visit to India by a Taliban leader, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, which resulted in an announcement by India on Friday to upgrade relations. India is Pakistan's longstanding adversary, with the trip causing concern in Islamabad.

The recent wave of attacks followed Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul last week, reportedly aimed at eliminating a TTP leader. Afghanistan claimed there was no significant damage from the strikes but retaliated by targeting Pakistani border posts along the Durand Line, the 2,640-kilometre international boundary between the two countries.