Pak must stay fully alert: Khawaja Asif warns of possible 'all-out war' with India

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the possibility of an "all-out war" with India cannot be dismissed, saying Islamabad is on "full alert" amid rising tensions following Operation Sindoor and escalating security challenges on both its eastern and western borders.

In an interview with Samaa TV, Asif said Pakistan was taking no chances as relations with New Delhi continued to deteriorate. "We are neither ignoring India nor trusting it under any circumstances. Based on my analysis, I cannot rule out an ALL-OUT WAR or any hostile strategy from India, including border incursions or attacks (presumably Afghan). We must stay fully alert," he said.

He reiterated that India could "directly intervene" and warned that Pakistan must remain prepared for any contingency. According to Asif, Islamabad now faces what he described as a "two-front" threat, alleging that India was using Afghanistan as a proxy against Pakistan’s interests.

Asif's comments came days after Pakistan accused Afghan nationals of carrying out two suicide attacks inside the country last week, including one outside a court complex in Islamabad that killed 12 people.

Pakistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has repeatedly accused India of backing Afghanistan-based groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan -- claims New Delhi has consistently rejected.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the accusations once again. "India unequivocally rejects the baseless allegations being made by an obviously delirious Pakistani leadership. It is a predictable tactic by Pakistan to concoct false narratives against India to deflect the attention of its own public from the ongoing military-inspired constitutional subversion and power-grab unfolding within the country," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Asif’s warning follows recent remarks by India’s Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, who referred to Operation Sindoor -- India’s cross-border strikes conducted after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people -- as an "88-hour trailer". Dwivedi said India remained ready to respond forcefully if provoked again.

Operation Sindoor, launched on 7 May, targeted terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir before ending with a ceasefire on 10 May. Islamabad has since accused India of seeking to destabilise the region, while New Delhi maintains the operation was a response to a deadly terror strike orchestrated from across the border.

NEW CLAIMS OF 'TWO-FRONT WAR'

Asif has repeatedly argued that Pakistan must prepare for simultaneous conflict with India and Afghanistan. In remarks last week, he declared, "We are ready for war on two fronts. We are ready, we are prepared to face both the eastern (India) and western border (Afghanistan). Allah helped us in round one and he will help us in round two."

He again claimed that Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership was being influenced by New Delhi and that India "could play dirty at the border", accusing Indian-backed proxies of involvement in the recent Islamabad bombing — allegations categorically rejected by India.

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