'Old Practice of Pakistan To Sponsor Terror & Blame Neighbours': MEA Rejects 'Proxy War' Claim

Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rubbished Pakistan's claim that Afghanistan's Taliban government is "fighting a proxy war" on behalf of India and listed the shortcomings of Pakistan while making it clear that India supports Afghanistan in its fight for its territorial integrity.

At a press briefing in Delhi, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Three things are clear. One, Pakistan hosts terrorist organisations and sponsors terrorist activities. Two, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. Three, Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories. India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan."

Earlier, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused India of having a hand in the military tensions between the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan and cast doubt on the 48-hour ceasefire with the Afghan government.

"Right now, Kabul is fighting a proxy war for Delhi," he told a media outlet.

"I have my doubts that the ceasefire will hold, because the decisions of the [Afghan] Taliban are being sponsored by Delhi," Asif said.

The Pakistani Defence Minister also indicated that Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had made advance planning of the conflict during his visit to India.

It is to be noted that Muttaqi's visit to Delhi was focused on discussions around trade and bilateral ties.

This is not the first time Asif has made such a claim. He often grabs headlines for making illogical statements and false accusations against India, which are devoid of any concrete evidence.

During the press briefing, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal also informed that a technical mission in Kabul is ongoing.

"Presently, we have a technical mission in Kabul... The transition from this technical mission to the embassy will happen in the next few days," he said.

Pakistan's Foreign Office on Wednesday announced that a temporary ceasefire has been reached with Afghanistan for the next 48 hours following days of intense cross-border clashes between the two sides, Dawn reported.

According to the Foreign Office, "A temporary ceasefire has been decided between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban regime, with the mutual consent of both parties, for the next 48 hours from 6 pm today, at the request of the Taliban."

The statement added that "during this period, both sides will make sincere efforts to find a positive solution to this complex but solvable issue through constructive dialogue."

Taliban regime spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed on X that Afghan forces had been instructed to respect the truce "unless any aggression takes place."

Also Read: Did Trump Falsely Claim PM Modi's Oil Vow? MEA Says No Call Took Place Between Two Leaders