Pak-Afghan war: India inciting Afghan-based militants to attack Pakistan, says PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan wants a permanent resolution to terrorism originating from Afghanistan to preserve peace between the two neighbours, and to avert any slide into a full-blown Pak-Afghan war.

 Pak-Afghan War Latest Updates

Opening the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister stressed that the people of Afghanistan are “brothers and sisters” of Pakistanis and reminded ministers that the countries share a roughly 2,000-kilometre border. He recalled that Pakistan has hosted four million Afghans for decades and has helped them “sincerely within its limited resources.”

He said, however, that militants operating from across the Afghan border had been given a free hand by elements in Afghanistan and continued to carry out deadly attacks — killing Pakistani army officers, soldiers, law-enforcement personnel and civilians — actions that risk escalation into a Pak-Afghan war if not checked.

“Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister have travelled to Kabul repeatedly to press the Afghan government to tackle these terrorists,” he said, adding that both countries must resolve differences through mutual consultation to maintain peace and open a new era of progress. If left unaddressed, he warned, the situation could lead to a broader Pak-Afghan war.

Mr Sharif accused outside actors of stoking attacks on Pakistani soil, saying militants continued strikes while the Afghan foreign minister was in New Delhi. “When provocations persist, Pakistan’s patience wears thin,” he said, noting that under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir the armed forces responded forcefully to recent cross-border aggression — a response the government says was aimed at preventing a wider Pak-Afghan war.

He said Islamabad agreed on Wednesday to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following a request from Kabul. “If Afghanistan accepts Pakistan’s just conditions, we are ready for a durable settlement — but the ball is now in Kabul’s court,” he told the cabinet, adding that Doha is actively engaged in mediation to avert a Pak-Afghan war.

The prime minister said Qatar’s Amir had told him in Sharm El-Sheikh that Doha was prepared to play a constructive role to defuse tensions. He underlined that Afghanistan must not allow its territory to be used for terrorism and urged elimination of “Fitna al-Khawarij” — the forces he said were fomenting discord that could precipitate a Pak-Afghan war.

Paying tribute to the security personnel martyred in recent violence, Mr Sharif said he had attended funerals and the bereaved families expressed pride in their sons’ sacrifices and urged the government to eradicate terrorism. He charged that terrorism had been largely eliminated in 2018 but re-emerged after the previous government permitted the return of thousands of militants.

On foreign policy, the prime minister deplored the mass casualties in Gaza, saying some 74,000 women, children, elders and youths had been killed and that schools and hospitals were hit. He praised international efforts — including those of US President Donald Trump and Muslim-majority states such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Indonesia — that helped secure a ceasefire and stop the bloodshed. “The people of Gaza have celebrated the ceasefire,” he said.

Mr Sharif criticised political actors who he said had exploited the Gaza issue for domestic point-scoring rather than helping to end the violence. He called for follow-up steps to press for the creation of a Palestinian state and to secure Palestinians’ rights in accordance with UN resolutions.

Turning to the economy, the prime minister welcomed the staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund and said Pakistan should aim for financial independence so that an IMF programme would be “the last” for the country. He urged all stakeholders to work for progress in science and technology and to build the Pakistan envisaged by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, recalling the sacrifices made at independence for a better future.