Pakistan says cross-border strikes targeted terrorists, rejects Afghanistan’s allegations

Business Recorder · 26/10/2026، 11:01:15 AM

Pakistan on Monday rejected allegations by the Afghan Taliban regime regarding civilian casualties in its counterterrorism operations, saying its actions in Afghanistan were aimed exclusively at terrorist groups and their logistical support bases. In a statement, the Foreign Office said terrorist attacks originating from Afghan territory had caused more than 3,500 casualties in Pakistan in 2026 alone. It said the Afghan Taliban regime continued to shelter terrorist organisations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it referred to as Fitna al Khawarij, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), referred to as Fitna al Hindustan, along with their affiliates. The Foreign Office said these groups posed a serious threat to regional and international peace and stability. It added that relevant United Nations mechanisms, including the Monitoring Team, had also reported concerns about the presence of terrorist organisations in Afghanistan. “Thousands of Pakistani civilians have been martyred because of terrorist attacks which have been planned, financed, supported and carried out from Afghan soil, all under the watch, patronage and active facilitation of the Afghan Taliban regime. “No responsible state can remain passive when its civilians and security forces are repeatedly targeted,” it said. The statement said Pakistan’s response was undertaken in exercise of its right to self-defence and as a last resort. It maintained that the actions were proportionate to the threat and adhered to the principles of distinction and precaution. The Foreign Office rejected suggestions to the contrary, saying the scale and scope of the response reflected restraint in view of the frequency and severity of attacks against Pakistan. It urged the international community to hold the Afghan Taliban regime accountable for meeting its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions and preventing Afghan territory from being used to launch terrorist attacks. Pakistan, t