The Indian government has formally dismissed allegations from Islamabad suggesting that New Delhi is responsible for exacerbating the ongoing military friction between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a sharp rebuttal, the Ministry of External Affairs described the claims as entirely baseless, suggesting that Pakistan is once again attempting to deflect responsibility for its own internal and regional failures by pointing fingers at its neighbours.

During a weekly press briefing in New Delhi, Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that blaming India has become "second nature" for the Pakistani administration. He argued that Pakistan’s long-standing history as a state sponsor of terrorism has left it with zero international credibility regarding matters of cross-border violence.

Jaiswal further noted that no amount of narrative-building or "storytelling" would distract the global community from the reality of the situation or lend weight to Pakistan’s claims of victimhood.

The diplomatic spat follows a significant escalation of violence along the Durand Line, the contentious border separating Pakistan and Afghanistan. In late February 2026, the region witnessed a series of airstrikes and retaliatory ground operations.

Pakistani forces launched strikes against various Afghan cities, including the capital, Kabul, prompting the Afghan Ministry of National Defence to claim that dozens of Pakistani soldiers were killed in subsequent counter-operations.

Tensions were further inflamed by statements from Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, who declared the situation an "open war" after stating his country’s patience had been exhausted. Islamabad has consistently accused the Taliban-led government in Kabul of providing a safe haven for global terrorists and exporting militancy across the border. Specifically, Pakistan has demanded that the Taliban crack down on the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group that shares ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban and has increased its attacks within Pakistani territory.

Beyond the TTP, Pakistan is also grappling with a surge in armed activity from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in its resource-rich Balochistan province. Both the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan regions, which border Afghanistan, have seen a dramatic rise in violence.

Despite these internal security challenges, India maintains that Pakistan’s military actions against Afghanistan are an attempt to externalise domestic crises rather than address their root causes.

India has issued a strong condemnation of the Pakistani airstrikes, highlighting that the operations resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan. New Delhi reaffirmed its commitment to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, standing firm against what it views as Pakistani aggression.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for restraint, urging both nations to resolve their disputes in accordance with international law to prevent further regional instability.

ANI