India trying to keep Pakistan engaged on two fronts: Kh Asif

• We have evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism and how it wants to keep us busy on eastern and western fronts: Defense Czar
• Says ‘Modi silenced after May defeat,’ vowing to stop cross-border terrorism from Afghan soil
• Says Pakistan preferred ‘a civilised relationship’ between two neighbours, expressing hope ongoing talks would yield a reasonable outcome
• Information ministry rebuts Afghan Taliban spokesman’s remarks

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday accused India of trying to keep Pakistan “engaged on both eastern and western fronts” amid renewed tensions with Kabul and New Delhi, warning that Indian involvement in terrorism inside Pakistan was “no secret.”

“We have evidence of India’s involvement in terrorism in Pakistan and how it wants to keep us busy on two fronts—the eastern and the western,” the defence minister said while speaking to a TV channel. He added that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been “silenced” after India’s defeat in the May conflict, which ended under a United States-brokered ceasefire.

His remarks came a day after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed in Istanbul to extend the ceasefire reached last month, following a brief but intense border conflict that saw Pakistani airstrikes on Oct 9 against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries in Afghanistan and retaliatory clashes on Oct 11. The truce, first formalised in Doha on Oct 18–19, was salvaged in Istanbul after days of deadlock that nearly collapsed the talks.

The minister said Pakistan’s position on Afghanistan remained consistent: “Everyone—the politicians, the establishment, and the nation—agrees that terrorism from Afghan soil must be completely stopped.” Asif said Pakistan preferred “a civilized relationship” between the two neighbours and expressed hope that ongoing talks would yield a reasonable outcome.

The second round of negotiations in Istanbul produced a three-point understanding: continuation of the ceasefire, establishment of a monitoring and verification mechanism, and penalties for violations. Operational details of the mechanism are expected to be finalised when senior representatives from both sides meet again in Istanbul on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar revealed that a Pakistani fisherman had been coerced by India’s intelligence agency after being detained by the Indian Coast Guard—part of what he called a broader disinformation and espionage campaign by New Delhi.

Only days earlier, Asif had accused India of waging a “low-intensity war” against Pakistan from Afghan territory to “settle scores” after its setback in the May conflict.

Ministry rejects Afghan Taliban spokesperson’s claim

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information rejected Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid’s claim that Pakistan had declined an offer to deport individuals deemed security threats during the Istanbul talks.

“Pakistan had demanded that terrorists in Afghanistan posing a threat to Pakistan be controlled or arrested,” the ministry said in a statement. “When the Afghan side said they were Pakistani nationals, Pakistan proposed they be handed over through designated border posts. Any claim to the contrary is false and misleading.”

Asif also denounced Mujahid’s remarks as “malicious and misleading,” adding, “There exists complete unanimity among Pakistan’s political and military leadership regarding the country’s security policies and its comprehensive approach toward Afghanistan.”