��������

NEW DELHI: Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed on Friday a 10-year defense framework to expand cooperation, marking a “new era” in bilateral ties amid tensions over Washington’s tariff war.

The defense chiefs signed the framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership, which is expected to provide policy direction for their ties, on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur.

“This will usher in a new era in our already strong defense partnership … It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership,” Singh said in a statement on X.

“Defense will remain as a major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.”

The agreement comes as the two countries are working on closing a trade deal amid tense ties after US President Donald Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on India, including a 25 percent penalty for importing Russian oil.

Hegseth wrote on X that the framework was a “cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence” and will increase India-US intelligence and tech collaboration.

“We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger,” he said.

The pact signed on Friday is an extension of a similar agreement inked in 2015, which had covered joint technology development, defense trade and military exchanges.

Plans for the extension were announced in February, when India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump in Washington.

They pledged during their meeting “to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,” according to a joint statement.

“India-US strategic relationship, particularly defense relationship, is on track and so that shows the common concern of both the countries, which is basically driven by the Chinese threat,” Laxman Kumar Behera, a research fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, told Arab News.

“This comes at a very difficult time (because of trade tensions), and unlike in the last time, when the relationship was quite good … but nonetheless this agreement shows that the strategic relationship is still intact, despite the economic relation is in little trouble.”

The new pact is likely to benefit both Washington and Delhi in terms of more support to counter Chinese growth and influence over the Indo-Pacific region, said Bharat Karnad, an emeritus professor for national security studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi.

“Considering how fast the Chinese Navy is growing, it is the largest navy in the world right now … Everybody needs help. The Americans need our help because we are locationally right there. We are a principal player in the Indo (Pacific) ocean basin,” he told Arab News.

“While we require the help in terms of, you know, their satellite intelligence … They have enormous satellite constellations that can pick up Chinese naval movements and so on, much farther than our own satellite constellation can pick up those kinds of things. So, you know, it is very helpful.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to extend a ceasefire during talks in Istanbul after the worst border clashes between the neighbors in years, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday, adding that the onus was now on Kabul to take action against militant groups.

The fresh round of negotiations, facilitated by Turkiye and other friendly nations, was aimed at easing border clashes that left dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead, before a temporary ceasefire was reached on Oct. 19. A second round of talks that started in Istanbul on Oct. 25 failed to reach breakthrough earlier this week, before Turkiye announced on Thursday evening that the ceasefire would continue. 

The clashes erupted after Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan against Pakistani Taliban militants it says are based there and responsible for attacks on its forces. Kabul condemned the strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and denies sheltering the group. The border, which runs more than 2,600 km (1,600 miles), has long been a source of friction with frequent skirmishes and mutual accusations over militant sanctuaries.

Information Minister Tarar described the outcome of the Istanbul talks as a “victory” for Pakistan and said the responsibility now rested with the Afghan Taliban to take concrete action against militant groups, the state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported.

“Pakistan’s stance has been clear, support for terrorism must end. A mechanism for monitoring, verification, and enforcement in case of violations will also be implemented,” he said, thanking Qatar and Turkiye for their mediation.

“All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and impose penalties on the violating party,” Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said of the October 25–30 talks.

It added that a follow-up meeting would be held in Istanbul on November 6 to decide how the mechanism will be implemented, and that Turkiye and Qatar “stand ready to continue cooperation with both sides for lasting peace and stability.”

Kabul government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a separate statement shortly before midnight in Istanbul confirming the conclusion of the talks and saying both sides had agreed to continue discussions in future meetings.

A senior Pakistani security official, requesting anonymity, said Islamabad viewed the Istanbul understanding as a welcome step but a conditional truce, hinging on verifiable action by Kabul.

“Pakistan welcomes the interim understanding reached in Istanbul under the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar,” the official said. “But this ceasefire is not open-ended or unconditional. The single litmus test for its continuation is that Afghanistan will not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan and will take clear, verifiable and effective steps against [militants].”

The official added that Pakistan expected credible evidence of action, such as dismantling of hideouts, disruption of logistical networks, and prosecution of militant leadership, to be reported through the monitoring and verification mechanism agreed under the mediators’ auspices.

“If Afghanistan fails to deliver verifiable proof of agreed steps, or if militants continue to launch attacks from Afghan soil, Pakistan will deem the ceasefire violated and reserves all options to safeguard its sovereignty and citizens,” the official warned.

He said Pakistan had entered the new phase “in good faith, but with realism,” given past patterns of cross-border violence.

“This arrangement is a conditional truce — one which hinges on demonstrable responsibility by the Afghan side,” he said. “Failure to meet that responsibility will require Pakistan to revert to other measures.”

The clashes erupted on Oct. 11 after Pakistan conducted airstrikes on what it called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan-affiliated targets in Afghanistan. Kabul said it was a violation of its sovereignty.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil by militant groups, particularly the TTP that has stepped up attacks inside Pakistan in recent years. Kabul denies the allegation.

• With inputs from Reuters
• This article originally appaeared on