India using Afghanistan as proxy battleground to destabilize Pakistan: Masood
Islamabad: Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United States, China, and the United Nations, and ex-President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan, has warned that India is turning Afghanistan into a proxy battleground to destabilize Pakistan and stretch its security apparatus on both eastern and western fronts.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to national media about Pakistan’s internal cohesion and regional security challenges, Sardar Masood Khan said, “Pakistan has successfully fought terrorism for decades, but new threats have emerged from across our western border, supported by a nexus between hostile intelligence networks and extremist outfits.” He stressed that Pakistan’s response must be rooted in unity, national resolve, and strategic clarity.
He pointed out that Pakistan became the primary target of cross-border terrorism following the war on terror, despite repeated assurances from the Afghan Taliban that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism. “The surge in attacks on Pakistan proves otherwise,” he said, adding that evidence shows the involvement of Indian intelligence agencies working through proxies in Afghanistan.
Rejecting the perception of Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation, Sardar Masood said, “India’s attempts to isolate Pakistan have failed. Our country is diplomatically re-engaged and respected across global capitals — from Washington and Beijing to Riyadh and Central Asia.”
He underscored that India’s collusion with extremist groups through Afghan territory is part of a broader hybrid strategy — combining conventional military pressure from the east with asymmetric attacks from the west — aimed at undermining Pakistan’s stability. “Our deterrence remains credible, and our resolve unshaken,” he declared.
Highlighting the policy path ahead, Sardar Masood Khan proposed a three-pronged approach: sustained bilateral engagement with the Afghan government under international guarantees, facilitation by friendly states like China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar for de-escalation, and full military preparedness to retaliate against any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Commenting on Taliban dynamics, he noted that the Kandahar faction now dominates Afghan policy and drives anti-Pakistan positions, while pro-Pakistan groups have been sidelined — a shift facilitated by Indian infiltration into Afghanistan’s power structures.
Warning of possible Indian adventurism, Sardar Masood Khan said, “India, still reeling from its humiliation in the May 2025 conflict, may attempt another misadventure to redeem its domestic image. Pakistan must stay vigilant across both borders.”
Concluding, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace and deterrence. “Our goal is not escalation but protection of sovereignty. Pakistan will continue to pursue diplomacy from a position of strength, ensuring that no state or non-state actor can threaten our national unity,” he asserted.
