India on Thursday strongly criticized Pakistan for its role in regional instability, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) systematically dismantling Islamabad’s narrative on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border tensions while exposing what New Delhi characterized as Pakistan’s decades-long pattern of terror sponsorship, blame-shifting, and interference in neighbors’ sovereignty.
India accused Pakistan of harboring terrorist groups such as the Afghan Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Haqqani Network. It also noted that it is an old practice for Pakistan to blame neighboring countries for its internal failures and expressed concern over Islamabad’s apparent frustration with Afghanistan exercising full sovereignty over its territories.
“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,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
#WATCH | Delhi | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the UK… We do not subscribe to any unilateral sanctions. The Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet… pic.twitter.com/Ld5xWTbTEg — ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2025
The statement followed accusations by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who claimed that Afghanistan’s Taliban government was “fighting a proxy war” on India’s behalf. Khawaja also alleged that during Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent six-day visit to India, he had made certain hidden “plans.”
Pakistan-Afghanistan Clash
The MEA’s statement comes amid some of the most intense cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in recent years. The two sides recently agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following clashes that reportedly killed dozens, though exact casualty figures remain unverified.
What Led To The Clash
The violence erupted after heavy exchanges of fire between Taliban forces and the Pakistani military at multiple points along the border. Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of providing safe haven to Pakistani Taliban militants who carry out cross-border attacks. Conversely, Afghanistan has raised concerns over Pakistani military operations that violate Afghan sovereignty, including alleged airstrikes on Afghan territory.
While Pakistani casualty figures have not been independently confirmed, Afghan officials, including Mujahid, claimed that their forces inflicted significant losses on Pakistani military assets. Both countries continue to accuse each other of supporting hostile militant groups: Pakistan alleges that the Afghan Taliban shelters the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of repeated border incursions and shelling.