Pakistan cannot rule out further airstrikes inside Afghanistan unless Kabul guarantees peace, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday, as he reiterated accusations of India and Afghanistan working together against Pakistan through a proxy war.
In an interview with France24, he maintained that India backed and Kabul enabled terrorist violence in Pakistan, adding “almost all franchises of terrorism” were present because of Kabul’s failure to act. Pakistan, he emphasized, retained the option of cross-border action and would exercise it if necessary. “We won’t hesitate. If someone in Kabul can underwrite peace, there will be no hostilities, but they continue to patronize and become co-conspirators,” he said, adding Afghan authorities cannot deny responsibility for terrorists operating from their soil.
Asif also accused Delhi of waging a proxy war after losing against Islamabad during a four-day conflict in May 2025. Asserting that India, Kabul and terrorist outfits were “on the same page” in targeting Pakistan, he said Delhi denied these allegation despite maintaining close ties with Afghan authorities. He stressed that war with India remained “a possibility” under prevailing conditions.
According to the defense minister, Islamabad has made multiple diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue, including engagements in Istanbul, Doha and Kabul, but the talks have failed to produce results. He said Afghan officials had acknowledged that elements of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were operating from their territory, adding they had indirectly admitted lacking control over terrorist outfits. He said Pakistan had urged Kabul to allow action against terrorist groups if it could not do so.
Asif said several terror outfits were active on Afghan soil, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, TTP, Islamic State and Da’esh, alongside smaller factions. He accused Kabul of providing safe havens to all these groups.
To a question on U.S. President Donald Trump’s International Stabilization Force for Gaza, the minister said Pakistan was prepared to contribute to it once acceptable terms of reference were established. He highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing role in United Nations peacekeeping missions, describing participation as a potential opportunity to advance a two-state solution. “Gaza and Palestine are causes close to our hearts,” he said, recalling Pakistan’s consistent support for Palestinians at global forums. Islamabad’s role in the peace force could help move closer to a viable two-state outcome, he said.
Asif, however, flatly refused any prospect of normalization of ties with Israel unless Palestinians were granted the right of self-determination under a two-state framework.
During his interview, the minister said Pakistan’s current system was a “hybrid arrangement” in which national institutions, including the military, work alongside the elected government. Rejecting claims of the country being under military rule, he insisted the armed forces were supporting the civilian leadership during a period marked by terrorism threats and economic strain. “There is absolutely no military rule. My boss is the prime minister,” he said.