Defense minister warns Afghanistan of ‘open war’ if Kabul does not act against terrorists
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif speaks at the National Assembly on May 13, 2026. SCREENSHOT
ISLAMABAD:
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned Afghanistan on Wednesday that if Kabul fails to stop harboring terrorists, Pakistan will respond in the same way it did against India last year.
Addressing the National Assembly, Asif said: “If they are not ready, then what we did with Delhi, we will do the same with Kabul. » The minister asserted that Afghanistan had indeed become an instrument of Indian policy.
“At present, Afghanistan has become India’s proxy,” he said, adding, “Kabul is waging a Hindutva war against us” and that “there is no difference between Delhi and Kabul at present,” although Pakistan sincerely wishes otherwise.
Asif said Pakistan had made several attempts to engage with Afghanistan through diplomatic channels, including through Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but these efforts had not yielded results. “During the negotiations in Qatar, Afghanistan agreed to everything but then refused to give guarantees,” he said, adding that Kabul was ready to agree verbally but not in writing.
Read also: Khawaja Asif warns of stronger response to any future aggression
He said Pakistan’s main demand was a written commitment from Kabul ensuring that Afghan territory would not be used to launch attacks against Pakistan and terrorists operating there would be expelled.
“The Kabul government is not willing to guarantee that its territory will not be used for attacks against Pakistan,” he said. “Afghanistan is not willing to expel terrorists from its territory. Afghanistan is also not willing to arrest terrorists.”
The minister added that Pakistan remained open to negotiations if Kabul provided written assurances against terrorism.
Referring to a recent attack in Bannu, Asif said many people were martyred and the Pakistan Army continued to make sacrifices. “This situation is forcing us into war,” he said, adding that after India’s defeat last year, New Delhi was now taking action through Afghanistan.
On the diplomatic front, Asif said indirect efforts through a third country were still underway, although he declined to provide further details. “Discussions are still ongoing via a third country, but I can’t say much at this stage,” he said.
Learn more: Khawaja Asif hails armed forces, warns of future aggression
The defense minister also sounded a cautiously optimistic note about domestic political alignment, saying the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, which had previously been uncooperative, was now on board.
“Earlier we did not have cooperation from the KP government; now we have it,” he said. “It’s a good thing that we are all on the same page: we must put an end to terrorism. ” He warned, however, that if Afghanistan remained reluctant to act, the situation could get even worse. “Then it will be a war, an open war,” he said.
Responding to a question from Asad Qaiser regarding military courts, Asif said the government would soon introduce legislation on the issue. He added that the right to appeal already existed and that several defendants had challenged the verdicts of military courts. “Many have challenged the jurisdiction of military courts,” he said.
Regarding the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the minister acknowledged that the promised resources had not yet been delivered. “The share due to erstwhile FATA is not just the responsibility of the federation; the provinces must also contribute,” he said. As soon as the provinces agree, he added, the region will receive the rights it is due.
