Taliban Criticise Pakistan’s Army, Hint At Possible Retaliation
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban, launched a sharply worded attack on Pakistan’s military, accusing it of creating regional instability at the behest of major powers.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban, launched a sharply worded attack on Pakistan’s military, accusing it of creating regional instability at the behest of major powers.
Although he did not explicitly mention the United States, Mujahid said the Pakistani army’s current policies were a continuation of its cooperation with Washington during the period of US military presence in Afghanistan.
In an interview with TOLOnews, Mujahid said the Taliban bore no hostility towards Pakistan as a country but had differences with what he described as the ruling military establishment.
Asked about possible retaliatory measures, Mujahid said a response was forthcoming and urged observers to wait.
Neither the United Nations nor any country other than India has so far condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika Provinces.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, denounced the strikes and said New Delhi supports Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In previous rounds of clashes between Pakistan and the Taliban, several countries, including Russia, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, called for restraint.
In October 2025, following border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia urged the dispute to be resolved through dialogue, saying such an approach would ease tensions and safeguard regional security. Turkiye and Iran similarly called on both sides to exercise restraint. As tensions escalated along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Russia also appealed for calm.
However, after the latest Pakistani strikes inside Afghanistan, even Russia, described as the only country to recognise the Taliban administration, has not publicly responded.
The Taliban described Pakistan’s attacks as a clear violation of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and international law, as well as a breach of good neighbourly relations and Islamic principles. The group said 18 people were killed.
Pakistan said about 70 militants were killed in the strikes.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of backing Baloch insurgents and has alleged that the Afghan Taliban cooperate with New Delhi.
Pakistan’s military has vowed to avenge the killing of two security personnel who died Saturday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning that it would not let an attack launched from Afghan territory go unanswered.
In a statement, the army said the assault was carried out using Afghan soil and pledged to show no restraint in pursuing those responsible, saying it would retaliate against the perpetrators wherever they may be.
The military accused the Taliban of once again failing to prevent insurgents from using Afghan territory to carry out terrorist operations inside Pakistan.
It added that militants, described as “Khawarij”, continued to stage attacks in Pakistan from across the border, violating the sanctity of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Taliban have not responded to the latest statement. However, their spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, has previously denied that fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or Baloch separatists are operating from Afghan soil, accusing Pakistan of shifting blame for its security failures onto Afghanistan.
Earlier Saturday, the army said insurgents attacked a security forces convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing a lieutenant colonel and a soldier. It said five members of the Pakistani Taliban were also killed in the ensuing exchange of fire.
United Nations human rights experts have confirmed that Afghan citizens were among those killed and detained during recent protests in Iran.
A joint statement did not provide precise figures for the number of victims or detainees.
In a statement issued on Saturday, 21 February, the UN experts said the majority of those arrested or killed in the nationwide protests were civilians, including children. The statement noted that the victims came from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds and included Afghan nationals.
Iranian authorities have not released official figures on Afghan casualties or detainees linked to the recent unrest.
The UN experts called on the Iranian authorities to disclose the fate and whereabouts of those detained and urged Tehran to halt all executions and punishments imposed on protesters.
They said families across Iran have been unable to locate relatives in hospitals, detention centres or among the deceased in forensic facilities.
US President Donald Trump recently claimed that 32,000 people were killed in Iran within a short period. Iran International previously reported that at least 36,500 people had died during protests across the country. Time magazine has published similar figures. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed 3,117 deaths.
A strong earthquake struck parts of Afghanistan on Friday, shaking Panjshir, Badakhshan, Takhar, Samangan, Parwan, Baghlan, Kabul and several other provinces.
Residents in these areas told Afghanistan International that they felt powerful tremors and rushed out of their homes.
The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 5.8 in magnitude and was centred in Bazarak district, the capital of Panjshir province.
Audiences also reported feeling the tremor in Kunduz and Kapisa provinces. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake occurred at around 5:40pm local time.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the earthquake.
Richard Bennett, UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, is set to present his report on the right to health of women and girls in Afghanistan at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, 26 February.
The council is also expected to review the broader human rights situation in the country.
In a post on X, Bennett said he would deliver an oral update on recent human rights developments. He recently visited Pakistan and, speaking at a conference in Lahore, warned that the deportation of Afghan migrants could expose them to serious human rights risks.
The 61st session of the Human Rights Council is being held in Geneva from Monday, 23 February, to Tuesday, 1 April. The agenda includes panel discussions on global human rights issues, women’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities and children’s rights.
Afghanistan is among the key items on the agenda. The council is expected to receive an oral update from the UN secretary-general on progress towards establishing an independent investigative mechanism into alleged human rights violations in Afghanistan.
A resolution to create such a mechanism was adopted by the Human Rights Council in October.
Member states will also consider a one-year extension of Bennett’s mandate as special rapporteur on Afghanistan.
In addition, a report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation in Afghanistan is due to be presented during the session.
