Pakistan ready for two-front war with India, Afghanistan: Defence Minister Asif
Asif’s comments followed his controversial reaction to the car blast in Delhi. Downplaying the explosion near Red Fort that claimed 13 lives, he dismissed it as merely a “gas cylinder explosion”
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has issued yet another provocative statement, asserting that the country is “fully prepared” for a two-front conflict against India on its eastern border and the Taliban on its western frontier, according to a report.
Also Read: Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif accuses the Taliban of acting at India’s behest
"We are ready for war on two fronts. We are ready, we are prepared to face both the eastern (India) and western border (Afghanistan). Allah helped us in round one and he will help us in round two," Asif said at a public event, according to a report in India Today.
Pakistan's message to Kabul
His remarks came in the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Islamabad on Tuesday (November 12), which left 12 people dead and 36 injured. The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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While Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused groups "active with Indian support" of being involved in the attack, Asif alleged that the Afghan Taliban had sent a clear message through the bombing.
"The rulers of Kabul can stop terrorism in Pakistan, but bringing this war all the way to Islamabad is a message from Kabul, to which, praise be to God, Pakistan has the full strength to respond," Asif wrote on X.
Asif downplays Red Fort blast
Asif’s comments followed his controversial reaction to the recent car blast in Delhi. Downplaying the explosion near Red Fort that claimed 13 lives, he dismissed it as merely a “gas cylinder explosion” and accused India of “politicising the incident”.
Also Read: India could ‘play dirty’ at border, says Pak as it readies for two-front war
"Until yesterday, it was a gas cylinder blast. Now they are trying to label it a foreign conspiracy. India could soon blame Pakistan for it," Asif claimed.
Indian officials rubbished his remarks as "a desperate attempt to deflect attention". Senior security sources told India Today that the Pakistani minister’s tone reflected “Islamabad’s nervousness”, particularly as early forensic analyses indicated the use of a military-grade explosive in the Delhi blast.
Asif criticises Talibans
In an interview with Geo News, Asif alleged that there was no "united government" in Kabul, claiming the Taliban administration consisted of various factions with differing motives and external links.
"Some are linked with India, and some have their strings being pulled from elsewhere, so both of these incidents, I think, are a prelude to a coming aggression that could happen from the Afghan side; actually, it will be Indian aggression that is being waged in our country through the route of Afghanistan," he said.
He warned both India and Afghanistan against any misadventure, saying Pakistan would "pay back in the same coin". "Pakistan will never initiate any military adventure; however, we will not let any act of aggression go unanswered; we will respond forcefully," he added.
Also Read: Khawaja Asif warns Afghanistan of ‘heavy price’ for terror
Earlier too, Asif had, without offering evidence, accused Kabul of fighting "India’s proxy war" along the Durand Line.