Pakistan ‘won’t hesitate’ to strike across border amid Delhi-Kabul complicity in ‘proxy war’: Asif

• Defence Minister claims Indian-backed proxy war fuelling terror inside Pakistan, linking recent terror attacks to cross-border network

• Says Kabul complicit, hosting ‘almost all franchises of terrorism’ due to what ‘he terms’ Afghan Taliban’s lack of seriousness in curbing militancy

• Bajaur suicide bomber identified as Afghan national, reportedly a former member of Taliban’s Special Forces

 ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday said that the surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan was the outcome of a “proxy war” being waged by India in collusion with the Taliban government in Kabul, warning that Pakistan “will not hesitate” to conduct fresh strikes inside Afghanistan unless someone in Kabul can “underwrite peace”.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the defence minister said that “almost all the franchises of terrorism” were present in Pakistan due to what he termed the Kabul government’s lack of seriousness in curbing militancy, adding that “complicity would be a better word”.

Highlighting the prevailing security situation, Asif referred to a recent bomb blast at a mosque in the capital that resulted in multiple casualties. He said India was waging a proxy war against Pakistan and asserted that New Delhi and Kabul were “on the same page” when it came to targeting Pakistan.

Responding to a question on Pakistan’s possible contribution to an international stabilisation mission in Gaza, the defence minister said any such decision would depend on the “terms of reference” framed for the proposed peace force. He noted Pakistan’s extensive experience in United Nations peacekeeping operations and described participation in a Gaza mission as a “good opportunity” to work towards a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Asked about the possibility of normalising relations with Israel, Asif categorically said the option was “not even being considered”, stressing that such a step could only be contemplated if Palestinians were granted the right of self-determination in their own homeland under a two-state framework.

Bajaur suicide bomber identified as Afghan national

In a related development, irrefutable evidence has emerged regarding the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan, as the suicide attacker who targeted the Malangi Post in Bajaur on February 16, 2026, has been identified as an Afghan national, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Friday.

The attacker was identified as Khariji Ahmad, alias Qari Abdullah Abu Zar, a resident of Balkh, and reportedly a former member of the Taliban’s Special Forces. The suicide attack claimed the lives of 11 security personnel and two civilians.

The incident has further highlighted the growing involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist activities inside Pakistan, pointing towards "what APP described" as active support and facilitation by the Afghan Taliban regime.

Security officials noted that links to several recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan have been traced across the border. On February 6, 2026, the suicide bomber involved in an attack in Islamabad’s Tarlai area had received training in Afghanistan. Likewise, the attackers involved in the assault on the Islamabad Judicial Complex in October 2025 and the FC Headquarters in Peshawar in November 2025 were also Afghan nationals.

Additionally, a captured suicide bomber from South Waziristan in October 2025, identified as Nematullah, was found to be a resident of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

According to security experts, the Afghan Taliban regime’s continued support for terrorist organisations indicates the availability of safe havens for militants in Afghanistan, with more than 70 percent of those involved in terrorist incidents in Pakistan reportedly being Afghan nationals. The regime’s conduct, they said, has consistently undermined regional peace efforts.