Pakistan’s defense minister Khwaja Asif has said that militants behind deadly attacks in the country’s Balochistan province were acting as proxies for the Taliban, warning that Islamabad would hold those backing them to account.
Asif said fighters from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were being used by both India and the Taliban to destabilise Pakistan.
“With the support of our people, parliament and a national resolution, we will confront India through Afghanistan,” Asif said in remarks broadcast by local media. He warned that Pakistan would also take action against Afghanistan under Taliban control.
Asif said that if anti-Pakistan insurgents were being used as instruments by India and the Taliban, Islamabad would respond accordingly.
India has repeatedly denied Pakistani accusations of backing militant violence, while the Taliban have previously rejected claims that Afghan territory is used to launch attacks on neighbouring countries. Taliban have not commented on Asif’s latest remarks and did not condemn the recent attacks.
In a separate statement, the UN Security Council described the Balochistan attacks as terrorist acts and stressed the need to hold accountable not only the perpetrators but also those who organise, finance or support them.
“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable,” the council said, calling on all states to cooperate with Pakistan in line with international law.
According to UN figures, at least 48 Pakistani citizens were killed in the recent attacks, including 31 civilians. Pakistan said dozens of BLA fighters were killed and the assaults were brought under control.
Militant violence has intensified in Pakistan’s western regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, straining relations between the two neighbours despite repeated Taliban assurances that Afghanistan’s territory would not be used for attacks abroad.
