Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, recently noted evidence that India is using Afghanistan’s soil as a platform against his country in what he describes as a low-intensity war against Pakistan. According to Asif, working relationships between Taliban-led regime and India allow Islamabad’s enemies to exploit Afghan territory as a springboard from which to launch attacks inside Pakistan from Afghanistan’s soil. Radio Pakistan +3 Geo News +3 Afghanistan International.
Asif accused the Afghan regime of becoming an “overseas proxy” of India. According to him, India is conducting low-intensity war against us from Afghan territory in order to settle old scores.
Asif made the point that during Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent visit to India, clashes on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border flared. This pattern fits within an ongoing pattern in which Afghan territory is used by militant groups for attacks against Pakistan from Afghanistan territory. For more information and related stories please go to ndtv.com at +1.254798598848589876574683.
What evidence was cited?
While Asif did not make his full dossier public at that moment, he noted that Pakistan had presented evidence-backed counterterrorism demands during discussions with Afghan counterparts.
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A separate Pakistani media report quotes security officials citing that some 135 foreign fighters had been killed trying to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan, and “around 30 suicide bombers” who are Afghan nationals — evidence that Afghanistan is being used as a launchpad.
Pakistan’s military leadership has publicly called upon Afghanistan’s regime to rein in proxy groups operating from within its territory and has noted Indian support for militant groups that operate through Afghanistan into Pakistan. Arab News. +1
Regional Context and Implications
This claim comes amid increasing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, specifically along their shared porous border. Pakistan asserts that militant groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) enjoy sanctuary within Afghanistan with indirect support coming from India; on their part, Afghanistan denies harboring militants for Pakistan’s adversaries; this could have far reaching ramifications as Islamabad sees triangulated threats: Afghan soil being utilized by militant groups while India becomes involved and pressure grows against Pakistan’s western borders.
Low-intensity war” refers to a deliberate strategy of sustained, lower-scale operations rather than open conventional warfare that are designed to wear down, destabilise, and apply pressure over time. If true, such an approach suggests an alteration in regional conflict dynamics where proxy warfare and cross-border sanctuary play more of an active role.
Challenges and Counterclaims
However, verifying claims remains difficult due to public sources’ limited confirmation. Pakistan frequently cites figures and operations, yet independent confirmation remains difficult in public available sources. Neither Afghanistan nor India has offered detailed responses or refuted allegations made against them; analysts note this makes tracing responsibility for cross-border attacks difficult due to complex militant networks, contested territories, or opaque channels of support.
Pakistan frequently accuses India of sponsoring militant activity within Pakistan; however, India has denied this charge and instead stressed its own stance against terrorism and militant activity within its borders. Without concrete proof linking Indian government actors directly with operations on Afghan soil targeting Pakistani territory, such accusations remain contentious.
What Comes Next
After the breakdown of talks between Islamabad and Kabul, Pakistan demanded that Afghan authorities sign an agreement not allowing their territory to be used against Pakistan.
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The situation remains dangerously volatile: should Afghanistan fail to act or appear to tolerate these sanctuaries, Pakistan could feel compelled to take unilateral or joint cross-border measures that raises risks of further escalation.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s statement conveys deep anxiety within Pakistan’s security establishment about being subject to an alleged low-level campaign of aggression originating in Afghan territory and supported by India. While Pakistan provides figures and claims, due to insufficient public evidence the narrative remains contentious; regardless, such accusations have complicated Pakistan-Afghanistan relations while underscoring how proxy conflicts are shaping South Asia’s security environment.