Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, has directly accused India of orchestrating a ‘proxy war’ through Afghanistan following the collapse of recent peace talks with the Taliban in Istanbul. These crucial negotiations aimed to de-escalate tensions along the shared border, which have recently seen a surge in deadly clashes claiming the lives of soldiers, civilians, and militants.
Asif asserted that India has ‘penetrated’ the Afghan government in Kabul, using the Taliban as a pawn to destabilize the region. He expressed deep disappointment that the Istanbul talks faltered due to the Afghan side repeatedly altering their negotiating positions. “Whenever we got close to an agreement… there was intervention, and the agreement was withdrawn,” Asif stated during an interview.
The failed negotiations in Istanbul followed an earlier round in Doha, which had briefly secured a ceasefire on October 19th. The breakdown in dialogue has led to significant concern, with Pakistan now vowing strong retaliation should any attacks originate from Afghanistan. “If any attack is carried out on Islamabad, it will be retaliated against—50 times over,” Asif warned.
Pakistan has a history of accusing the Taliban government of harboring militants responsible for cross-border assaults, a claim Kabul consistently denies. The recent peace process was initiated at the request of international partners, including Qatar and Turkey, with Pakistan engaging in talks in both Doha and Istanbul to provide an opportunity for lasting peace. However, state media reports from both nations indicate a mutual blame game over the diplomatic deadlock, leaving the path to regional stability uncertain.