Khawaja Asif Labels Afghan Refugees ‘Traitors’, Warns Kabul Against Provocations

In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has declared Afghanistan as Pakistan's "number one enemy," delivering a scathing address to the National Assembly to justify the ongoing mass deportation of Afghan nationals.

Asif's remarks reflect Islamabad's growing frustration over what he perceives as betrayal by millions of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan. The Defence Minister alleged that Afghan nationals are "doing business in Pakistan" while simultaneously "ruling in Afghanistan." He also accused elements of the Afghan Taliban of keeping wives in Pakistan and harboring anti-Pakistan militant groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The minister emphasized loyalty as a key concern, asserting that Afghan residents, despite benefiting from Pakistani hospitality and building "big businesses," "don't chant Pakistan Zindabad." He linked the large refugee presence, particularly undocumented migrants, to the surge in cross-border terrorist attacks that have intensified since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021.

Asif's remarks come amid recent alleged Pakistani airstrikes and exchanges of fire along the Durand Line. The Defence Minister also expressed concern over Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's "warm reception" in New Delhi, viewing it as a significant loss of strategic influence over the Taliban.

The minister framed the deportation campaign, initiated in October 2023, as a matter of national security. Islamabad asserts that expelling all undocumented foreign nationals is necessary to curb militant activity and protect Pakistan from cross-border threats.

This hardline stance marks a major shift in Pakistan's foreign policy toward Afghanistan, transitioning from a tacit ally to an openly hostile posture. The ongoing tensions are fueled by insurgency spillovers, refugee management challenges, and broader geopolitical rivalries involving India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Khawaja Asif's declaration signals a deepening deterioration in diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with serious implications for regional security dynamics across South Asia.