Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the country is “prepared for a two-front war,” expressing concern that India could exploit the current border conflict with Afghanistan to intensify regional tensions.
In an interview widely circulated on social media, Asif warned that India might “play dirty” during Pakistan’s ongoing clashes with the Taliban regime. “Absolutely, you cannot rule that out. There are strong possibilities,” he stated.
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Asif added that Pakistan has formulated strategies to address potential escalations but declined to share details, saying, “Strategies are in place. I can’t discuss them publicly, but we are prepared for any eventuality.”
The remarks come amid Pakistan’s border conflict with Afghanistan, which has resulted in at least 18 civilian deaths and over 360 injuries since October 10, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Islamabad has claimed to have killed 34 militants in three separate operations this week.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan is ready to engage in dialogue with Afghanistan to resolve the crisis peacefully.
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Meanwhile, tensions between India and Pakistan have also been high following India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched in May this year in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. The attackers were identified as members of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
India maintained that its airstrikes were “precise and targeted” at terrorist infrastructure, avoiding civilian and military zones.
