By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused India on Saturday of trying to entangle his country in conflicts on its eastern and western borders by stoking terrorism in the region, even as Islamabad works to solidify a fragile ceasefire with Afghanistan. “If there is a need for evidence, then we have it, about what involvement India has in terrorism [in Pakistan] and how it wants to keep us busy on two fronts: the eastern and western,” the minister, Khawaja Asif told a private television channel.
Asif framed his remarks amid recent diplomatic progress with Afghanistan, where the two countries agreed early Friday in Istanbul to extend a ceasefire along their shared border after a sharp escalation last month that included Pakistani airstrikes and days of clashes. The Istanbul accord, which followed a preliminary truce brokered in Doha on Oct. 18-19, came after days of deadlock that nearly ended the talks, with mediators coaxing both sides back even as Pakistan’s delegation prepared to leave.
It includes a three-point understanding: continuation of the ceasefire, a monitoring and verification mechanism, and penalties for breaches. Senior officials from both nations are due to meet again in Istanbul on Thursday to finalise details.
Asif added that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been “silenced” after what he called India’s defeat in a four-day conflict with Pakistan in May, which concluded with a United States-brokered ceasefire. Since then, Indian political and military leaders have continued aggressive rhetoric, repeating terrorism allegations that Pakistan rejects and warning of potential “geographical changes” in future hostilities.
A few days ago, Asif had claimed India was waging a “low-intensity” war against Pakistan from Afghanistan to “settle the score” after the May clash. “Everyone is onboard, politicians, the establishment and the Pakistani nation, that an immediate solution to the Afghanistan issue is very necessary, which is that terrorism from Afghan soil should be completely stopped,” Asif said, expressing hope for a “civilised relationship” between the neighbours.
In another matter stirring speculation about Pakistan’s defences, Asif sidestepped questions on Friday about a possible hypersonic ballistic missile test. “Now don’t ask all these questions. Ask such things in private.”
The issue stemmed from a striking cloud formation seen over Quetta early Tuesday, which sparked online theories of a military test. Asif earlier dismissed the buzz as speculation. The Pakistan Meteorological Department identified it as a “lenticular cloud formation” over Koh-i-Murdar, noting in an X post that it appeared before sunrise, lasted about 20 minutes and faded before dawn. The United Kingdom’s Met Office describes such clouds as lens-shaped, forming in stable air over hills or mountains, often mistaken for UFOs worldwide.
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