Pakistan's defense minister says that there is now 'open war' with Afghanistan after latest strikes

NPR News · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Afghanistan with its capital, Kabul. AP/AP hide caption toggle caption AP/AP ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's defense minister said that his country ran out of "patience" and considers that there is now an "open war" with Afghanistan, after both countries launched strikes following an Afghan cross-border attack. In a post on X Friday, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces and expected the Taliban to focus on the welfare of the Afghan people and regional stability. Instead, he alleged, the Taliban had turned Afghanistan "into a colony of India," gathered militants from around the world and begun "exporting terrorism." "Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us," he said. There has been no reaction from Afghan government officials to Asif's comments. The latest escalation of violence between the neighboring countries makes a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shaky. The Pakistani defense minister didn't mention the ceasefire. Asif also accused the Taliban government of denying Afghans basic human rights, including rights for women that he said are guaranteed under Islam, without providing details. He said Pakistan had tried to maintain stability both directly and through friendly countries. "Today, when attempts were made to target Pakistan with aggression, by the grace of God, our armed forces are giving a decisive response," he said. Afghanistan on Thursday launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday. Early Friday, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces. At least three explosions were heard in Kabul, but there was no immediate information on the exact location of the strikes in the Afghan capital, or of any potential casualties. Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Kandahar to the south and in the southeastern province of Paktia. In his post, Asif also said Pakistan had played a positive role over the past five decades, hosting about 5 million Afghan refugees. He added that millions of Afghans are still earning their livelihoods in the country. Pakistan launched a sweeping crackdown in Oct. 2023 to expel migrants without documents, urging those in the country to leave of their own accord to avoid arrest and forcible deportation and forcibly expelling others. Iran also began a crackdown on migrants at around the same time. Since then, millions have streamed across the border into Afghanistan, including people who were born in Pakistan decades ago and had built lives and created businesses there. Last year alone, 2.9 million people returned to Afghanistan, the U.N. refugee agency has said, with nearly 80,000 having returned so far this year.