Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said the Afghan Taliban are currently acting as a proxy for India, warning that the 48-hour ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul remains fragile and could collapse if violated.

Speaking on a television programme on Wednesday, Asif dismissed Taliban claims that Pakistan had deployed tanks along the shared border, calling the allegations“false” and saying such equipment was not in use in that region.

The minister asserted that Taliban actions were now“directed from New Delhi,” accusing the group of waging a proxy war against Pakistan. He added that Islamabad would be forced to respond if the truce were breached.

Asif said Pakistan was open to talks but only if the Taliban first halted what he described as threats and hostile cross-border activities.“Peace cannot be achieved through aggression,” he noted, adding that diplomatic solutions depended on restraint.

The defence minister also revealed that several countries had offered to mediate between the two sides, but those efforts had stalled after renewed fighting prompted some to withdraw their diplomatic visa requests to Afghanistan.

At least 40 people were killed or injured in Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul on Wednesday evening, hospital officials said, confirming women and children among the victims.

Pakistani strikes also hit Kandahar's Spin Boldak district near the border, causing multiple casualties and destroying homes, as cross-border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul escalated.

Fighting along the border has continued despite the brief ceasefire agreement, raising fears of escalation between the two neighbours. Both sides have accused each other of provoking clashes through air and ground operations.

Analysts say Asif's remarks signal deepening mistrust between Islamabad and Kabul at a time of growing regional competition and shifting alliances. They warn that without sustained diplomacy, Pakistan and Afghanistan risk sliding back into prolonged hostilities that could destabilize the region furthger.

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