Khawaja Asif Says He Doubts Ceasefire Will Hold

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed scepticism about the longevity of the current ceasefire, warning that Pakistan will be compelled to respond if Afghanistan violates the truce.

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, Khawaja Asif said he did not believe the ceasefire would last long. He accused Afghan elements of falsely displaying a tank they claim belongs to Pakistan, saying, “The tank Afghanistan is showing is not something we possess — who knows where they got it from — and now they are lying.” He added that the Afghan Taliban are presently acting as a proxy for India.

Referring to the recent downing of an Indian aircraft, Khawaja Asif said the whole world witnessed that event, and warned that if the other side escalates the conflict, Pakistan would respond with full force. “If war is imposed on us, it becomes our right to answer,” he said.

He further alleged that decisions by the Taliban are currently being sponsored from Delhi and suggested that Kabul is fighting a proxy war for India. “The Taliban and Afghan Taliban share the same source and the same mindset,” he said.

Khawaja Asif also touched on visa matters, saying Pakistan had invited them for visas but revoked the application once hostilities began, claiming the Afghan Taliban have no intention of maintaining peace in the country.

In closing, he invoked former U.S. President Donald Trump — saying Trump had acted to stop wars elsewhere and that if Trump wished to help stop fighting here as well, he would be “most welcome.”