Foreign Office defends cross-border counterterrorism operations, citing security threats and Pakistan’s right to self-defence.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistan on Monday rejected allegations by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities that its counterterrorism operations had caused civilian casualties, defending its actions as necessary measures against militant threats originating from Afghan territory.
In a statement issued on October 26, Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the allegations as “baseless and unsubstantiated” and reaffirmed the country’s right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens.
The Foreign Office said attacks originating from Afghan territory had resulted in more than 3,500 casualties in Pakistan during 2026. The figure was presented by Pakistani authorities and was not independently verified in the statement.
Pakistan Defends Cross-Border Operations
The Foreign Office maintained that Pakistan’s military actions were undertaken as a last resort in response to terrorist attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security personnel.
According to the ministry, the operations were directed exclusively against militant targets and their logistical support bases in Afghanistan.
The statement said Pakistan’s response was proportionate to the security threat and adhered to the principles of distinction and precaution. These principles require parties to armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take precautions to minimise harm to civilians.
Pakistan also accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of failing to prevent militant organisations from using Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks across the border.
The Foreign Office urged the international community to hold the Afghan Taliban authorities accountable for their obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and other international commitments.
Dispute Over Civilian Casualties
The latest statement follows repeated allegations by Afghan officials that Pakistani military strikes have killed or injured civilians in Afghanistan.
An Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson recently told CNN that 1,119 Afghan civilians had been killed or injured in Pakistani strikes since late 2021. That figure reflects the Afghan side’s reported claim and has not been independently established by the cited report.
The United Nations has also reported civilian casualties from particular strikes. Following Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces on October 1, the UN mission reported that at least 10 civilians, most of them children, were killed and nine were injured. Pakistan said the operations targeted militant hideouts and killed 22 militants.
The differing accounts underline the importance of independent verification of casualties and military targets in cross-border operations.
Militant Groups Remain at the Centre of Tensions
Pakistan’s Foreign Office accused the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing several militant organisations, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), to operate from Afghan territory.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on Kabul to prevent Afghan soil from being used for attacks inside Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban authorities have disputed Pakistan’s accusations and have rejected claims that Afghanistan is responsible for Pakistan’s internal security problems.
The TTP is a separate organisation from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban movement, although the two have historical ties and ideological links.
Cross-border militancy has remained a major source of friction between Islamabad and Kabul, contributing to military exchanges, diplomatic disputes and repeated calls for action against armed groups.
Pakistan Reaffirms Right to Defend Its Sovereignty
The Foreign Office said Pakistan reserved the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the security of its citizens.
The statement did not announce a new military operation. Instead, it restated Islamabad’s position on its existing counterterrorism measures and called for international pressure on the Afghan Taliban authorities.
With the two sides maintaining conflicting accounts of cross-border violence and civilian casualties, independent reporting and credible investigations remain important to establishing the circumstances surrounding individual incidents.
