Pakistan&rsquo;s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has escalated tensions with Afghanistan, accusing Kabul of acting as a &ldquo;proxy of India&rdquo; and warning Afghans living in Pakistan to return home. His remarks came shortly after the 48-hour ceasefire between the two countries expired, following Pakistani airstrikes that killed three Afghan cricketers.
In a strong statement on social media, Asif said Pakistan would no longer maintain ties with Kabul as it had in the past. He claimed Afghans should return to their &ldquo;own government&rdquo; in Kabul, adding that Pakistan&rsquo;s land and resources are for its 250 million citizens.
He further alleged that Afghan rulers, once under Pakistan&rsquo;s protection, are now &ldquo;sitting in India&rsquo;s lap&rdquo; and conspiring against Islamabad along with New Delhi and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Asif warned that any source of terrorism would face a &ldquo;heavy price,&rdquo; claiming Pakistan had issued 836 protest notes and 13 demarches to Kabul in recent years without positive results.
The defence minister&rsquo;s comments came amid increasing cross-border violence, including a deadly TTP attack in Orakzai that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. Islamabad blames militants based in Afghanistan for these attacks.
The tensions have also spilled into sports. The Afghanistan Cricket Board announced its withdrawal from a planned T20I tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka in November. The decision followed airstrikes in Paktika province that killed three Afghan cricketers-&nbsp; Kabeer, Sibghatullah, Haroon, and injured several others.
Star spinner Rashid Khan condemned the strikes as &ldquo;immoral and barbaric,&rdquo; supporting the ACB&rsquo;s decision to pull out of the series. &ldquo;Our national dignity must come before all else,&rdquo; he said on X. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage. It is absolutely immoral and&hellip;
&mdash; Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashidkhan_19/status/1979313849418551376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2025</a></blockquote>

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While reports suggest the ceasefire may have been extended for talks in Doha, tensions between the two neighbours are at their highest in months, with both sides trading sharp accusations amid mounting security concerns.

Pakistani minister blames Kabul for aiding India as ceasefire ends and violence escalates

Pakistan warns Afghans, blames India for tension

Pakistani minister blames Kabul for aiding India as ceasefire ends and violence escalates

October 18, 2025 | 18:07 IST