ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday warned Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government that Islamabad could respond to threats from Kabul in the same way it had dealt with New Delhi.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif accused the Afghan government of acting as a proxy for India and failing to provide assurances that cross-border militancy would be stopped.
“There is no difference between Delhi and Kabul,” he said. “Whether it is the eastern border or the western border, we are facing the same enemy on both fronts.”
The defence minister said Pakistan had made repeated diplomatic efforts with the help of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to persuade Kabul to address Islamabad’s security concerns.
Asif praised the Pakistani military for what he described as “unconditional sacrifices” in the fight against militancy.
He said Pakistani soldiers and civilians who lost their lives at the border were sacrificing themselves for the country’s identity and security.
The minister also said cooperation from the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had previously been lacking but had now improved.
Referring to a recent “Marka-e-Haq” event, Asif said invitations had been extended to several political figures, but none had attended.
