In a provocative statement, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that India “could play dirty” along the border, claiming that Islamabad is prepared for a “two-front war”. His comments, made during an interview with Samaa TV, have triggered sharp reactions across South Asia and raised concerns of renewed hostility between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Asif’s statement comes at a time when Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan is witnessing escalating clashes with Taliban fighters. The minister accused New Delhi of potentially exploiting Islamabad’s tensions with Kabul, suggesting that India may “take advantage of the situation.” The remarks follow Pakistan’s recent claim that the Taliban are being “sponsored by Delhi”; a charge India has categorically rejected.
Observers see Asif’s rhetoric as an attempt to project strength amid domestic instability and growing military pressure along both borders. However, the insinuation of a two-front conflict has alarmed regional security experts who fear it could further destabilize South Asia’s fragile peace architecture.
India has so far maintained restraint, but officials in New Delhi privately dismissed Asif’s comments as “provocative and politically motivated.” The timing of the remark amid Islamabad’s internal crises and strained Afghanistan ties underscores Pakistan’s increasingly defensive regional posture and its struggle to recalibrate foreign policy amid shifting power equations.
