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Recent attack on Afghanistan was a justified response to Pakistan’s foes: Sharif
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, recently stated that the military strike on the Barmal district of Paktika province in Afghanistan was an appropriate response to the armed opposition confronting Islamabad.
In a meeting in Islamabad, Sharif warned that Pakistan has, and will continue to deliver a strong and decisive response to cross-border attacks. He emphasized that both internal and external forces are actively working against Pakistan’s stability.
“Today, we are addressing the attack on Pakistan that occurred in recent days, and we responded appropriately,” Sharif said. “There are still operatives and fighters in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, who are plotting against us. We are aware that some who are sitting abroad, posing as friends, are in fact working against Pakistan, which is a serious threat.”
However, Pakistani media have reported that the Prime Minister’s remarks refer to the influence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which operates from Afghan soil and has faced resistance from Pakistani forces. While Pakistani authorities have described the operation as a defensive measure, local sources and Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said that the Pakistani airstrike on Barmal district led to civilian casualties, including women and children.
In response to Sharif’s comments, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, stated that Pakistan’s issues are internal and that if Islamabad pursues a path of hostility with Afghanistan, it will ultimately face failure.
Stanikzai also issued a warning, asserting: “If Afghanistan were to send the ‘five sons of Mahmud, Abdali, or Babur’ across the border, no one—not even in the Indian Ocean—could stop them.” He further emphasized that Afghan forces have successfully safeguarded the nation’s borders, adding, “If the enemy has looked at it with an evil eye, they have plucked out their eye.”
Experts, however, believe there are contradictions in the views and positions of various Pakistani institutions and officials regarding Afghanistan. While Sharif speaks of military confrontation, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently advocated for diplomacy and expressed a desire for peaceful, friendly relations with Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has urged spokespersons of all Emirate institutions to intensify efforts aimed at strengthening information dissemination and expanding cooperation with media outlets.
Speaking at a coordination meeting held on Tuesday at the Government Information and Media Center, Mujahid praised the efforts of institutional spokespersons in sharing information and described their role in improving the effectiveness and coordination of public communication as important.
He stressed the need for continued cooperation and called on spokespersons to play a more active role in strengthening government-related content through media platforms and the Parmakhtag website.
Mujahid also highlighted the importance of media in delivering information, raising public awareness, reflecting realities, and strengthening public trust in the government.
Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders, Ethnic and Tribal Affairs, says that objectives such as establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity in Afghanistan have now been fulfilled, and has called on opponents of the Islamic Emirate living abroad to return to the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Noori addressed opponents of the Islamic Emirate, saying: “If your jihad against the Russians was aimed at establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity, then today these objectives have been achieved in Afghanistan. Return to your country and present whatever suggestions or opinions you may have.”
Noori added that opponents of the Islamic Emirate based in Turkey, Pakistan, and several other countries should stop claiming that they seek to “liberate Afghanistan,” because Afghanistan is now a free country. He warned that no one will be given permission or the opportunity to cause bloodshed in the country again.
He urged them to come back to Afghanistan and present any proposals or demands they may have regarding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
He said: “What is your voice, your message, and your demand? Our country has regained its freedom from occupiers, and today there is not a single foreign soldier present anywhere in Afghanistan. So, from whom do you intend to liberate the country? Return to your homeland and put forward your proposals. The people of Afghanistan have learned from the past. Today, not even a single dead body is seen across Afghanistan, and Afghans neither expect to see coffins again, nor will anyone be given the opportunity to cause bloodshed in this country once more.”
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Khalilzad urges Pakistan to heed UN call for dialogue with Afghanistan
His comments came after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces.
Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Pakistan to respond positively to the United Nations’ appeal for dialogue, saying Afghanistan has consistently sought a diplomatic solution to tensions between the two neighboring countries.
In a post on X, Khalilzad referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for Afghanistan and Pakistan to end hostilities and resolve their differences through diplomacy.
He said Afghanistan has repeatedly made clear that it prefers dialogue over conflict and has presented several proposals aimed at reducing tensions.
“Will the Pakistani establishment listen to the UN Secretary-General? I hope so, but I am not optimistic,” Khalilzad wrote.
His comments came a day after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.
Speaking on behalf of the UN chief, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General was deeply concerned by the escalation and called on both countries to settle their differences through diplomatic means.
“We continue to call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times,” Dujarric said.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said numerous civilians were killed and injured in the overnight airstrikes, while humanitarian agencies warned that the attacks had also displaced families and created urgent humanitarian needs.
According to Afghan authorities, at least 36 civilians were killed and more than 160 others wounded in the strikes, with women, children and elderly people among the casualties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemned the strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and airspace, describing them as a “crime” and a “cowardly act.”
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply in recent months over Durand Line security and militancy, with both sides accusing each other of failing to prevent cross-frontier attacks. The latest exchange has heightened concerns of further escalation, prompting renewed international calls for restraint and dialogue.
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