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Journalism of Courage
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday stated that Islamabad currently has “no ties” with Kabul after an unprovoked attack on the Pak-Afghan border over the weekend, according to Dawn.
Speaking on Geo News’ Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath, Asif described the situation as a stalemate. “You can say there are no active hostilities, but the environment is hostile. There are no ties, direct or indirect, as of today,” he said. He warned that hostilities could resume “at any time” and stressed that dialogue under threats is unacceptable. “If Afghanistan wants negotiations while threatening Pakistan at the same time, then they should act on their threats and we’ll negotiate after,” Asif added.
Defending Pakistan’s military response, he said: “This is a natural thing. If you are attacked, you instantly have the right to react and target wherever the attack is originating from. We did not target populated areas, we did not target civilians, we targeted their hideouts.” He also accused Kabul of sheltering multiple terrorist organisations, including ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban.
When asked about Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Noor Wali Mehsud, Asif noted that those targeted were in Afghan territory. “He wasn’t on the moon; he was in Afghanistan,” he said, emphasising the need for honesty in diplomatic efforts to pave the way for resolution.
The clashes, which occurred late on Saturday night, left at least 23 Pakistani soldiers dead and several others injured. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan military’s media wing, more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters were ‘neutralised’, and 21 ‘enemy positions’ along the Afghan side of the border were briefly captured. The ISPR described the damage to Taliban posts, camps, and training facilities as “extensive, ranging from tactical to operational depth.”
Afghanistan called the attack a “retaliatory” move, alleging Pakistan had carried out air strikes earlier in the week. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is in India at the moment, said the “situation is under control”. “Our operation last night achieved its objectives. And then our friends like Qatar and Saudi Arabia appealed that war must stop now, and the war is ceased right now,” he said.
