ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday avoided directly acknowledging strikes in Kabul, instead framing Pakistan’s counter-terrorism actions as legitimate self-defence against militants operating from Afghan soil. The FO, moreover, also emphasised the need for continued dialogue and cooperation with Kabul to address cross-border terrorism.
At the weekly FO briefing, spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said, “Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the security and well-being of its people.”
Pakistan “respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan, and remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering dialogue and cooperation with our neighbour to address the shared challenges of terrorism”, the spokesperson said, adding that the security operations were intelligence-driven and aimed at protecting its citizens from terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement came after twin explosions shook Kabul on Thursday night. Local Afghan media, quoting witnesses, reported fighter jet overflights and bursts of automatic gunfire. They described the blasts as precision air strikes that hit a vehicle and a compound linked to the TTP, suggesting that the intended target was TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud.
Meanwhile, reports on Noor Wali Mehsud’s fate were conflicting. Some Pakistan military-linked social media hailed the strike as a potential blow to the TTP leadership, while pro-TTP channels released an audio message purportedly from the TTP chief denying his death and calling the reports “enemy propaganda”. The incident marks one of the most serious escalations between the two neighbours since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Stresses continued dialogue, cooperation with Kabul to address cross-border terrorism, says Afghanistan’s sovereignty is respected
Analysts say that if confirmed a Pakistani strike inside Kabul would be the first such incident in the Afghan capital, although Pakistan has previously conducted operations against TTP targets in other parts of Afghanistan.
Islamabad maintains that its patience is wearing thin after a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan that it blames on militants operating from Afghan territory. “Enough is enough, Pakistan government and armed forces patience has worn out,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had said a day earlier in the National Assembly.
Kabul, however, denies allegations of providing safe havens to these groups.
Speaking at a separate news conference in Peshawar, held almost simultaneously with the Foreign Office briefing, military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also declined to confirm or deny whether the military had carried out strikes in Kabul. He nonetheless underscored Pakistan’s right and resolve to defend itself. “Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan. There is also evidence of this,” he said.
Afghan officials, meanwhile, publicly blamed Pakistan. The Afghan defence ministry said, “Once again, Pakistan violated Afghan airspace, bombed a civilian market in the Paktika airspace near the Durand Line, and also violated the territory of the capital Kabul.”
India-Afghanistan agreement
The Foreign Office refrained from commenting on the agreement between New Delhi and Kabul to reopen their long-shuttered embassies.
The agreement was reached during talks in New Delhi between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, which marked India’s first high-level engagement with the Taliban government since it took power in 2021.
“Our position on Afghanistan’s bilateral relations with any other country remains that it is a matter between those two countries,” Mr Khan said, adding, “Afghanistan is a sovereign, independent country, and we do not have any particular comment to offer on it.”
He further noted that Pakistan’s consistent request to Afghanistan, while respecting its sovereign right to pursue an independent foreign policy, has been that Afghan territory should not be used against Pakistan.
