ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): In a recent development, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that India is employing Afghanistan to wage a “proxy war” on Pakistan to seek revenge for its defeat and humiliation.
The minister emphasized that the drama produced by Kabul is scripted in Delhi,” he thinks that the government in Kabul has no autonomous power to negotiate.
The Defence Minister asserted that the Taliban government does not have full control over Afghanistan. “I realised this during the very first round of talks,” he remarked.
The defence minister noted that friendly countries such as Qatar and Türkiye are aligned with Pakistan’s stance on the situation in Afghanistan.
He disclosed that the Taliban group had retreated after giving guarantees on five occasions. He cautioned that if anyone tries to look towards Islamabad with bad intentions, their eyes will be pulled out.
Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan wished for Afghanistan to behave like a dignified neighbour, not as somebody’s surrogate.
He also demanded legal action against former Pakistani commanders who, in his words, “supported the Taliban previously.”
Khawaja Asif forewarns of “open war” with Afghan Taliban
Afghan and Pakistani negotiators were in discussions to finalize a long-term ceasefire Saturday, with Islamabad declaring that if the Istanbul talks didn’t work, it could result in “open war.”.
The Taliban administration, two weeks ago, initiated a border attack in response to explosions in Kabul, and it sparked an eruption of previously intense fighting that killed dozens, including civilians.
Pledging stern action, Islamabad then conducted “precision strikes” against militant groups on Afghan territory, which are at the center of the controversy, security officials reported.
After yet more fighting in which soldiers and civilians were killed, each side announced an initial 48-hour ceasefire that broke up two days later.
A second ceasefire came into being last weekend after negotiations in Doha facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, though on what terms was not clear.
