Deadly Quetta Attack: Pakistan's Defence Minister Points Finger At India, Taliban

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called the deadly Quetta attack part of India's proxy war against Pakistan and accused the Afghan Taliban of "collusion and ignorance".

The use of Afghan soil in such attacks "amounts to aggression against Pakistan", he said.

Nearly 30 people were killed and more than 60 others were injured in Saturday's attack by the Baloch Liberation Army separatist group in Quetta. Some sources said that the majority of the victims were members of the Pakistani army.

"It may not be possible to say that this [attack] is officially approved by the Afghan government, but the failure to take action against these activities or ignore them shows some kind of condoning or even indirect collusion," Pakistan's defence minister said. "Afghan soil is used for such terrorist acts," he added.

The Taliban has rejected the accusations of Pakistani officials and said that Pakistan is blaming Afghanistan for its incompetence.

In the interview, Khawaja Asif accused India of waging a "proxy war" against the country by using the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army.

"The Quetta terrorist attack is part of a proxy war that India has waged against us through groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army," the Pakistani defence minister said. "This is a conspiracy to thwart China's efforts to develop Pakistan," he said.

Chinese nationals based in Pakistan have been targeted repeatedly over the past year. On Tuesday last week, two Chinese citizens were injured after a security guard opened fire at a garment factory in downtown Karachi. Last month, two Chinese engineers were killed near the Karachi airport. In March this year, five Chinese workers were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan's defence minister said that a large number of security forces have been deployed to ensure the security of joint projects between China and Pakistan.

China is one of Pakistan's strategic allies and has invested the most in the country in recent years. However, China's construction projects have repeatedly been the target of attacks by militant groups, mainly by Baloch separatists.

Referring to the escalation of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Khawaja Asif said, "These actions cannot be interpreted as an internal struggle only, these efforts are aimed at destabilising Pakistan, which has the direct or indirect involvement of not only India, but also other countries."