ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s defense minister said his country has run out of “patience” and that there is now an “open war” with Afghanistan after both countries launched strikes following an Afghan cross-border attack.
In a post on X Friday, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces and expected the Taliban to focus on the welfare of Afghans and regional stability. Instead, he alleged, the Taliban had turned Afghanistan “into a colony of India,” gathered militants from around the world and begun “exporting terrorism.”
“Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said. There was no immediate reaction from Afghan government officials to Asif’s comments.
The latest escalation makes a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shaky. Asif did not mention the ceasefire in his post.
He also accused the Taliban government of denying Afghans basic human rights, including rights for women that he said are guaranteed under Islam, without providing further details.
Asif said Pakistan had tried to maintain stability both directly and through friendly countries. “Today, when attempts were made to target Pakistan with aggression, by the grace of God, our armed forces are giving a decisive response,” he said.
Afghanistan on Thursday launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas the previous Sunday.
Early Friday, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and in the southern province of Kandahar and the southeastern province of Paktia. At least three explosions were heard in Kabul, though there was no immediate information on the exact locations struck or on any potential casualties. Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed strikes in Kandahar and Paktia as well.
In his post, Asif also said Pakistan has played a positive role over the past five decades by hosting about 5 million Afghan refugees and that millions of Afghans still earn their livelihoods in Pakistan.
Pakistan launched a sweeping crackdown in October 2023 to expel undocumented migrants, urging those in the country to leave voluntarily to avoid arrest and forcible deportation, and forcibly expelling others. Iran began a similar crackdown around the same time.
Since the crackdown, millions have crossed into Afghanistan, including people born in Pakistan decades ago who had built lives and businesses there. Last year, the U.N. refugee agency said about 2.9 million people returned to Afghanistan, with nearly 80,000 returning so far this year.