Pakistan threatens more strikes in Afghanistan over security concerns

Pakistan has issued a stern warning about potential future cross-border operations in Afghanistan if its security is compromised. Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Political Affairs, defended recent airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Barmal district of Paktika Province, citing Pakistan’s right under international law.

“Pakistan has the legal right to continue these operations if its soil is attacked from Afghanistan,” Sanaullah stated during an interview with Sama TV.

Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform, voiced concerns over a surge in terrorism, emphasizing that Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban to prevent Afghan territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan. “Pakistan has made significant sacrifices for the Afghan people and continues to bear this burden,” Iqbal stressed.

These statements follow a deadly blast in Pakistan’s Balochistan Province, which killed six people and injured dozens, escalating tensions between the two neighbors. Taliban officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, condemned the airstrikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

Islamabad accuses the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of using Afghanistan as a base for attacks on its security forces, with a UN report estimating around 6,000 TTP fighters operating in Afghanistan. The Taliban deny these allegations, blaming Pakistan for fostering extremist ideologies. “How can Pakistan deny the same ideology within its own borders after nurturing it in its schools for years?” a Taliban official remarked.

Former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad highlighted Pakistan’s “triple crises” of political instability, economic woes, and security threats, urging a “reset” starting with the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Afghanistan’s UN representative Nasir Andisha linked the TTP, Taliban, and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) as interconnected threats, further complicating the regional security landscape.