Afghanistan Is India's Stooge, Waging Delhi's Proxy War Against Pakistan: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that Afghanistan is fighting India's proxy war and accused the Taliban government of becoming a "stooge" for New Delhi.

"Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi," Asif told Geo News in a televised interview. "I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi."

The minister issued a warning that Pakistan was prepared to respond militarily to any further aggression. "We have the capability and we will attack them... if they escalate or widen the radius of this war," he stated, while also noting Pakistan would respond to "constructive dialogue."

The ceasefire, which reportedly began Wednesday at 13:00 GMT, was agreed upon following a severe uptick in violence, including alleged Pakistani air strikes on Kandahar and Kabul. Both sides have claimed the other initiated the request for the pause.

Reports on casualties from the recent fighting differ dramatically and could not be independently verified. A Taliban spokesman claimed 12 civilians were killed and over 100 wounded by Pakistani fire. Over the weekend, Kabul said its forces had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers. In contrast, Pakistan's military reported losing 23 soldiers while killing more than 200 "Taliban and affiliated terrorists."

The conflict is rooted in Islamabad's long-standing accusation that the Afghan Taliban provides sanctuary to militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group that has waged a deadly insurgency inside Pakistan. The Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied the charge.

Tensions have been further amplified by a recent diplomatic visit to India by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who, while in New Delhi, blamed "certain groups in Pakistan" for the unrest.

The involvement of regional powers was also noted, with both Saudi Arabia and Qatar credited with appealing for a de-escalation of the clashes last weekend.

With most border crossings still closed and trust between the two neighbors at a low point, the temporary ceasefire offers a brief and uncertain pause in a rapidly deteriorating relationship.