Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Saturday that India wanted to keep Pakistan busy and engaged on the eastern and western fronts amid tensions with Kabul and New Delhi. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed early on Friday morning to continue a ceasefire between the two countries following a rapid deterioration of ties and a brief conflict […]
Khawaja Asif
Khawaja Asif: Pakistan-Afghanistan ties depend on ending TTP support
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that relations with Afghanistan cannot normalize until the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sponsorship ends. He stressed that Pakistan demands a complete halt to cross-border attacks from Afghan territory. Asif said an interim agreement was reached recently between Pakistan and Afghanistan, mediated by Qatar and Turkey. He added that another […]
Khawaja Asif: India waging proxy war from Afghan soil
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed India is supporting the Afghan Taliban to conduct a low-intensity war against Pakistan from Afghan soil. In an interview with Al-Arabiya, he said evidence shows ties between New Delhi and Taliban elements operating in Afghanistan. Asif warned that Pakistan would respond strongly if Afghan territory is used to launch […]
Pakistan, Afghan Taliban to revive Istanbul talks for peace
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have agreed to resume stalled peace talks in Istanbul to “give peace another chance.” According to state media, both sides accepted the host countries’ request to continue discussions after earlier negotiations ended without results. The Pakistani delegation, which had been preparing to return home, will now extend its stay to […]
Khawaja Asif accuses India of waging “low-intensity war” from Afghan soil
ISLAMABAD — Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday accused India of conducting a “low-intensity war” against Pakistan from Afghan territory, saying New Delhi and the Taliban regime maintain long-standing ties that threaten regional stability. In an interview with Al Arabiya English, he claimed the recent unprovoked clashes along the border coincided with a visit by […]
War Whispers
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s fiery remarks against the Taliban regime have once again placed our foreign policy under an uneasy spotlight. His statement that Pakistan could strike ‘deep into Afghanistan’ if cross-border attacks is bound to attract widespread criticism at home and abroad. His statements came at a time, when we are trying our diplomacy […]
Khawaja Asif: Pakistan prepared to defend borders, even inside Afghanistan
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that any violation of the country’s borders will receive a strong response. He said Pakistan is prepared to act even inside Afghanistan if required. Asif made the remarks amid ongoing tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and recent clashes involving militant groups. He emphasized that Pakistan will protect its sovereignty […]
Khawaja Asif warns: Failed talks could spark Pakistan-Afghanistan war
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, warned that failing negotiations with Afghan Taliban could trigger open conflict with Afghanistan. He spoke to media in Sialkot, stressing that Pakistan’s armed forces and police risk their lives to ensure national security. He added that citizens sleep peacefully because soldiers stay alert and protect the nation. Asif criticized Afghanistan, […]
Asif rejects notion Afghan strikes carried out on US behest
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that the ceasefire agreement between Islamabad and Kabul was linked to the Afghan Taliban’s ability to rein in terrorists attacking Pakistan from neighbouring soil. The two countries agreed to a ceasefire in Doha at the weekend after days of border clashes that killed dozens, the worst such violence […]
Thin Line
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s warning that any act of aggression from Afghanistan will violate the Doha agreement captured Pakistan’s wary optimism. The ceasefire between Islamabad and the Taliban-led Afghan administration offers respite after a year of punishing violence, yet it still remains a fragile pause in a conflict that has tested Pakistan’s endurance and the […]