Pakistan will not hesitate to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan: Khawaja Asif

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that the country would not hesitate to carry out airstrikes in Afghanistan if security guarantees are not provided by Kabul.

In an interview with France 24, Asif linked recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan to what he described as a “proxy war” orchestrated with the support of the Taliban government in Kabul and India.

He warned that Pakistan would act decisively in Afghanistan unless assurances for peace are offered.

The Pakistani government has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of providing support to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is blamed for major militant attacks inside Pakistan.

Last year, TTP operations led to multiple border clashes between Pakistan and Afghan Taliban forces, which were later mitigated through mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey.

Khawaja Asif further said that Afghanist and India “are on the same page” when it comes to plotting attacks on Pakistan, and said the possibility of a conflict with India still exists.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and ongoing concerns over cross-border militancy in the region.

Earlier, Pakistan formally rejected as inaccurate a statement made a spokesperson of Afghanistan regarding an alleged refusal by Pakistan to accept a proposal concerning individuals considered security threats. The Pakistani government strongly refuted the claim, calling it “factually incorrect” and “misleading.”
Pakistan has long raised concerns over terrorist factions operating from Afghan soil and has called for more effective measures to address these threats.