Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif  warned Afghanistan that if the latter attacks, Pakistan will give a “50-times stronger” befitting response. He also accused Afghanistan of acting as a puppet of India.

According to a report published by The Times of India, Asif’s statements come after peace talks between the two nations derailed in Istanbul, Turkey.

While speaking to Geo News, the Pakistani Defence Minister said Afghanistan is merely a puppet in India’s hands and is acting at the behest of New Delhi.

“I would compliment their delegation, but the people in Kabul pulling the strings and staging the puppet show are being controlled by Delhi,” The Times of India quoted Asif as saying.

He further claimed that India wants a low-intensity war with Pakistan and is using Kabul for the same.

Four days of negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul concluded without any agreement,Tolo News reported. 

Sources familiar with Tolo News said that Afghanistan reiterated its commitment to preventing the use of Afghan territory against Pakistan but demanded that Islamabad cease violating Afghan airspace and halt U.S. drone operations within Afghan borders. Pakistan, however, refused to accept these conditions, the sources added.

The Pakistani delegation reportedly walked out of the talks following disagreements over key demands, leaving discussions stalled.

Commenting on the stalemate, former Afghan Ambassador to France Omar Samad questioned Pakistan’s intentions, saying, “It’s not entirely clear what each side’s intentions were. Was Pakistan genuinely seeking practical solutions, or was it trying to appear as if it wanted to resolve the issues?”