KEY POINTS
- Ishaq Dar condemns “unprovoked Taliban raids” as serious provocation, vows all-out defence
- Foreign Office reiterates Pakistan’s right to retaliate against cross-border aggression
- Information and Interior ministries accuse Kabul of collusion with India-backed terror networks
- Rana Sanaullah calls for unity, lauds Army’s precision operations
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday issued a strong warning to the Taliban administration in Kabul following unprovoked firing and cross-border incursions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, declaring that all necessary measures would be taken to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and ensure the security of its citizens.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in an official statement posted on X at 2:12 PM, said Islamabad was “deeply concerned over the developments on the Pak-Afghan border.”
He described the attacks by the Taliban Government as “a serious provocation,” clarifying that Pakistan’s “befitting response and strikes are against Taliban infrastructure and to neutralise Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil.”
Dar stressed that Pakistan’s defensive action “is not targeted towards peace-loving Afghan civilian population,” noting that “unlike Taliban forces, we are exercising extreme caution in our defensive responses to avoid loss of civilian lives.”
He urged the Taliban Government to take “concrete measures against terrorist elements and their perpetrators that wish to derail Pak-Afghan relations. Pakistan will take all possible measures to defend its own territory, sovereignty, and its people,” he added.
FO Reaffirms Right to Retaliate
The Foreign Office Spokesperson supported Dar’s statement, condemning the latest cross-border aggression and urging Kabul to uphold its international obligations.
Spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan reiterated that Pakistan reserves the right to respond proportionately to any armed provocation emanating from Afghan territory and called on the Taliban leadership to prevent the use of its soil by hostile non-state actors targeting Pakistan.
Information Ministry Sees “Indian Hand” Behind Attacks
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, in a statement reported by state media, denounced the border violations as a “blatant breach of international law.”
He said it was “regrettable and condemnable” that Afghan attacks occurred while Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister was visiting India, hinting at coordination between New Delhi and Kabul.
Tarar said the government’s position on Afghan aggression was “clear and unequivocal,” insisting Pakistan’s actions were defensive and guided by restraint.
Interior Minister Vows Befitting Reply
Echoing the firm stance, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the Taliban of initiating “unprovoked firing” and vowed a “befitting reply.”
He warned that such actions would not go unanswered, adding that the Afghan side’s aggression reflected “the same mindset that orchestrated terrorism in Pakistan under Indian sponsorship.”
Naqvi remarked, “Afghanistan will also be given a befitting reply like India, so that it will not dare to look at Pakistan with a malicious eye.”
Rana Sanaullah Urges Unity, Backs Army Operations
In Faisalabad, Rana Sanaullah, senior PML-N leader and former interior minister, called for unity across political lines in support of national security.
He praised the Armed Forces for their “swift and strong response against infiltrators,” asserting that “the aggression began from the Afghan side,” and that Pakistan’s operations were “precise, proportionate, and directed only at militant hideouts.”
Sanaullah urged all political factions to “stand behind the state and the Army,” warning that divisiveness in times of external threat could embolden the enemy.
