Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made a controversial and “explosive” statement regarding the possibility of a “two-front war” involving India and Afghanistan, amid escalating tensions with the latter.
The core details of his statement, made in an interview with Samaa TV and other media outlets, are as follows:
- Two-Front War Claim: Khawaja Asif claimed that Pakistan is “prepared for any eventuality” including a possible “two-front war.” This suggests simultaneous conflict on its western border with Afghanistan and its eastern border with India.
- Accusation against India: He warned of “strong chances” that India “could play dirty at the border,” and might commit a “vile act” given Pakistan’s current strained relations and clashes with the Afghan Taliban. He offered no evidence to support this claim but stated that it could not be ruled out.
- India-Afghanistan Link: Asif explicitly linked India to Pakistan’s hostilities with Afghanistan, alleging that the Afghan Taliban government is currently “fighting a proxy war” on behalf of India. He speculated that the decisions of the Afghan Taliban were “being sponsored by Delhi” and mentioned the recent visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister to India.
- Preparation: When asked if he had discussed a strategy with the Prime Minister for a two-front war, he confirmed: “Yes, strategies are in place. I can’t discuss them publicly, but we are prepared for any eventuality.”
- Context of Statement: The remarks came amid a period of intense cross-border clashes between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban along their shared border. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for attacks in Pakistan. The tensions have led to airstrikes and retaliatory fire from both sides, although a temporary ceasefire was recently agreed upon.
In essence, Khawaja Asif’s statement sought to project Pakistan’s military readiness while simultaneously shifting blame for its border conflicts onto both Afghanistan (for allegedly fighting a proxy war) and India (for potentially escalating tensions on the eastern frontier).
