(National Times)- Pakistan has conducted precision aerial and drone strikes in 10 locations across Afghanistan in retaliation for drones launched from the neighbouring country a day earlier, Information Minister Atauallah Tarar said in the early hours of Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence, Pakistan conducted precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan used for launching and storing these drones,\u201d Tarar wrote in a post on social media platform X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that the strikes were \u201cdeliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the post, Tarar condemned Wednesday\u2019s \u201cdeliberate and unlawful\u201d drone incursion, calling it a \u201cblatant violation of Pakistan\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He held the drone attacks were a \u201cgrave and unacceptable act of aggression\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarar said Pakistan had conveyed its concerns to the Afghan Taliban over the terrorist elements emanating from Afghan soil and the presence of terrorist sanctuaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, he noted that rather than dismantling the terrorist networks and taking action against them, the Afghan Taliban chose to \u201cescalate the situation through hostile drone operations against Pakistan\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that in Wednesday\u2019s attack, Pakistan\u2019s Air Defence systems had \u201cdetected, tracked and neutralised all intruding platforms before they could reach any of their intended targets, comprehensively thwarting the attempted attack\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarar held that Pakistan will \u201cneither accept nor tolerate\u201d attacks from Afghan territory \u2014 whether by terrorist groups or the Afghan Taliban regime itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He warned against violation of Pakistan\u2019s sovereignty, vowing that it will be met with \u201can immediate and decisive response\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister further held that: \u201cAny threats, denials or attempts to deflect responsibility by [the] Afghan Taliban will neither alter the facts nor constrain Pakistan\u2019s inherent right to defend its territory, its people and its national security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarar, in the post, called upon the Afghan Taliban to halt immediately \u201chostile activity\u201d and abide by international obligations \u201cby taking effective, concrete, verifiable and sustained action against terrorist entities operating from Afghan soil\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tarar warned that the Afghan territory should not be used for attacks against Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He maintained that Pakistan remained committed to \u201cregional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement\u201d and was not seeking escalation. However, the information minister warned: \u201cThis commitment must not be mistaken for weakness or an unlimited tolerance of hostile actions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He vowed that the country will defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of citizens with \u201cfull resolve and take all necessary measures to protect them\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny further provocative act by [the] Afghan Taliban will be responded with [a] firm and resolute response,\u201d the information minister warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan\u2019s response came after eight drones, launched<\/a> from Afghanistan, entered the Pakistani airspace near the Torkham border and Kohat on Wednesday. Security sources said they were subsequently shot down. It was also reported that the Afghan Taliban engaged in unprovoked firing the night before near Kurram as security forces foiled an attempt by terrorists to cross into Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Sept 21, Pakistan, in response to recent terrorist attacks in KP, conducted<\/u><\/a> \u201ccalibrated\u201d airstrikes in the border region with Afghanistan against terrorist hideouts and safe havens of terrorist organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A statement from the information ministry on Monday said that over 28 terrorists were eliminated in the strikes. \u201cIt is a matter of grave concern that Afghanistan continues to remain a hub of terrorism,\u201d the ministry said at the time, specifying that the \u201cthreat to Pakistan emanates from Afghanistan\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The airstrikes had come after a major attack<\/u><\/a> in the old Police Lines in KP\u2019s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation<\/u><\/a> launched to clear the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarar described Pakistan\u2019s action as part of its ongoing counterterrorism campaign, Ghazab lil Haq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing<\/u><\/a> by the Afghan Taliban from across the border, Pakistan launched<\/u><\/a> Operation Ghazab lil Haq against terrorist hideouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan also carried out strikes in the border region with Afghanistan in late June<\/u><\/a>, with the government saying they were in response to a wave of terrorist attacks, including one on a Rangers camp in Karachi<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time, Tarar said that 25 terrorists were killed in those strikes in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan had carried out similar strikes<\/u><\/a> on terrorist hideouts along its border with Afghanistan earlier that month, killing 26 terrorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In July, security forces responded<\/u><\/a> to unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban at border posts in Kurram, security sources had said. In the same month, the Afghan Taliban regime launched<\/u><\/a> four rudimentary drones across the border into Balochistan, which were shot down by security forces. Two drones were also shot down<\/u><\/a> in June in Qila Abdullah and Chagai districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As clashes continue, tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have remained high. Islamabad has repeatedly urged<\/u><\/a> the Taliban administration in Kabul to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP, that are used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar addressed<\/u><\/a> a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where he called for steps towards concrete and verifiable action to prevent the use of Afghan soil for terrorism against any neighbouring country, particularly Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dar said Pakistan was \u201cseriously concerned\u201d about the presence of over two dozen terrorist groups in Afghanistan that threatened regional and international peace and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last week, Pakistan also told<\/u><\/a> the UN Security Council that it would respond to terrorist threats emanating<\/u><\/a> from Afghanistan in self-defence as and when needed and in accordance with international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this month, the Foreign Office (FO) declared that meaningful progress in relations with Kabul would depend on the Taliban taking concrete and verifiable action against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It maintained that while Islamabad welcomed China\u2019s<\/u><\/a> continuing engagement, the external facilitation could not substitute for action by Kabul against terrorist infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Ghazab lil Haq<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Pak-Afghan ties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n