Islamabad Warns Taliban After Border Attacks, Calls For ‘Free Afghanistan’

Amid escalating tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, Hekmatyar wrote on X on Sunday that Washington had recently issued similar warnings of possible action if its demands were not met. He linked Pakistan’s latest military operations to recent US statements about a potential return to Bagram Air Base.

Hekmatyar recalled that during the 20-year US presence in Afghanistan, there had been both open and covert cooperation between Islamabad and Washington. He claimed that recent developments suggested a renewed alignment between the two.

Criticising the Taliban’s response to Pakistan’s airstrikes on Kabul, Hekmatyar said Afghans expected a transparent explanation about what had been targeted and the cause of the explosions. He said the Taliban government had also failed to take a clear stance against Pakistan’s attacks or clarify their outcome.

Referring to the recent Taliban–Pakistan border clashes, he called the issue a national concern and urged all Afghan factions to put aside internal divisions and unite in defence of the country.

He argued that mere condemnation or isolated responses would not resolve the crisis and called for a “national consensus” to confront growing external threats. Without unity, Hekmatyar warned, Afghanistan risked once again becoming a battleground for proxy wars involving regional and global powers, including India and Pakistan, Iran and the United States, and the US and its Arab allies against China and Russia.

Without naming anyone, Hekmatyar said those who had “betrayed the nation” or served foreign powers should never be allowed to return to Afghanistan’s political stage.

Pakistani media released footage showing General Munir inspecting frontline positions, though his remarks during the visit were not made public. The visit came amid sharply escalating tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban government.

The Taliban claimed they carried out retaliatory attacks on Pakistani border posts on Saturday night, killing more than 50 Pakistani soldiers. The Pakistan Army, in contrast, said 21 of its soldiers were killed and more than 200 Taliban and allied fighters were eliminated in counter-operations.

Although Taliban officials said their attacks have ceased, Pakistani airstrikes reportedly continue to target areas inside Afghanistan. The Pakistan Army released drone footage purporting to show strikes on Taliban positions and nearby residential areas in Spin Boldak, Kandahar province.

The latest clashes mark one of the most severe escalations along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in recent years, amid mounting accusations from both sides over cross-border militant activity.

In a statement, the Pakistan Army said Taliban forces launched coordinated attacks from multiple points along the Durand Line targeting Pakistani border positions, prompting “immediate retaliatory action” from Pakistani troops.

According to the army, more than 200 Taliban members and allied fighters, including militants from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS-Khorasan, were killed in the fighting. Several Taliban border posts were hit, and some of their positions were “temporarily captured,” the statement said.

The military added that the operation aimed to “defend Pakistan’s borders and prevent militant infiltration.” It said 29 Pakistani soldiers were wounded in the clashes, and several Taliban bases and compounds were damaged during counterattacks. The army noted that “all necessary measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties,” adding that Pakistani forces remain “on full alert.”

Earlier on Saturday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed, 30 were wounded and 25 Pakistani border posts were captured during the overnight fighting along the Durand Line.

The conflicting casualty figures could not be independently verified. The clashes mark one of the deadliest escalations between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in recent months, amid rising tensions over cross-border militant activity.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, Muttaqi did not specify what those options might entail but said that relations between the two countries should not be undermined by the actions of “a particular circle within the Pakistani military.”

He stressed that the Taliban has no quarrel with the people of Pakistan and that “the door to dialogue remains open.”

Muttaqi claimed that the Taliban had “achieved their objectives” in recent border operations, saying it was now an appropriate time to resolve ongoing tensions through dialogue.

The Taliban foreign minister also rejected Islamabad’s claims that members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are operating inside Afghanistan, describing the allegations as “false.”

The remarks follow a series of deadly cross-border clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces, which have sharply escalated tensions between Kabul and Islamabad in recent days.

The report said that militants opposed to Pakistan were present at the targeted site. It added that the airstrike was part of ongoing operations aimed at eliminating groups accused of launching cross-border attacks into Pakistan.

The Taliban authorities in Kandahar and Kabul have not yet commented on the claims, and there has been no independent confirmation of the reported airstrike.

The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban government, following a series of deadly clashes and mutual accusations of harbouring militant groups on each other’s territory.