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

ISLAMABAD (AP) — 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, 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.

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.