Taliban Have Crossed ‘Red Line’ After Drone Attacks, Says Pakistan’s President
Pakistan’s president has strongly condemned what he described as drone attacks on civilian areas and said the Afghan Taliban had crossed a “red line”.
Pakistan’s president has strongly condemned what he described as drone attacks on civilian areas and said the Afghan Taliban had crossed a “red line”.
President Asif Ali Zardari wrote on X on Saturday that Pakistan would not tolerate the targeting of civilians and would defend its people.
Zardari also said Afghan territory should not be used for terrorism against neighbouring countries.
The Taliban’s Defence Ministry said Friday that it had carried out a drone strike on the Hamza military centre in the Faizabad area of Islamabad.
A former Pakistani official has called for regime change in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, urging support for armed opposition groups and other measures against the Taliban.
Jan Achakzai, former information minister of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, wrote on X that the time had come to change the Taliban regime.
Achakzai called for targeting political and administrative offices of the Afghan Taliban and outlined several proposals he said could help bring about political change in Afghanistan.
Among his suggestions was the establishment of offices in Islamabad for the National Resistance Front and the Afghanistan Freedom Front, two armed groups opposed to the Taliban.
He also proposed granting a 30-kilometre buffer zone along the Durand Line to forces of the National Resistance Front, extending to the Wakhan Corridor.
The former official further suggested that Pakistan provide drone support to National Resistance Front forces operating in Badakhshan, Panjshir and other northern provinces.
Achakzai also proposed opening offices in Pakistan’s capital for civil society organisations and groups advocating women’s rights.
In addition, he suggested transferring Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad to Taliban opponents.
Targeting Taliban political and administrative offices, including air-related infrastructure, was among the other proposals he mentioned in his post.
He also called for establishing a political office in Quetta for tribes opposed to the Taliban.
Afghan political leader Mohammad Mohaqiq urged the public not to lose hope despite Taliban rule and said citizens should be prepared for change in the country.
Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, said the Taliban’s actions should not discourage the population and added that Afghanistan, though largely overlooked at present, would soon return to the centre of international attention.
He made the remarks in a message marking the 31st anniversary of the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, the late leader of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan.
Referring to ongoing conflicts and crises in several parts of the world, including Ukraine, Lebanon and Gaza, Mohaqiq said the world was currently facing turbulence but Afghanistan would soon once again become a focal point for the region and the international community.
Mohaqiq also referred to the situation of the Hazara community in Afghanistan and attacks against the group in different periods of the country’s history.
He said being Hazara should not be treated as a crime in Afghanistan.
Ahmad Massoud, leader of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front, says Pakistan’s recent strikes in Afghanistan are the result of what he called the Taliban’s reckless policies and the group’s support for terrorist organisations.
Speaking on Friday at an event marking the 31st anniversary of the killing of Abdul Ali Mazari, the late leader of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, Massoud said the Taliban had turned Afghanistan into a stage for security and geopolitical rivalries.
He said that by providing sanctuary to groups such as Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jaish al-Adl, Ansarullah and other militant organisations, the Taliban had created conditions that allowed such tensions to escalate.
Massoud, who took part in the meeting virtually, added that the Taliban’s attempt to mobilise people against Pakistan’s attacks could not lead to the defence of the country because the group lacked both domestic and international legitimacy and had excluded the public from the power structure.
Referring to recent developments, he stressed that any freedom in Afghanistan must be achieved by the people of the country themselves.
The National Resistance Front leader also warned against any deal or intervention under the current circumstances, saying freedom should come from the will of the Afghan people.
According to Massoud, any settlement reached without consulting the people would be wrong, and ignoring public opinion cannot resolve Afghanistan’s ongoing crises.
He also called on political leaders to use what he described as an opportunity for Afghanistan’s freedom, provided they act in a coordinated, organised and unified manner.
In another part of his remarks, Massoud expressed concern about the impact of conflicts in the Middle East on Afghanistan’s economy, saying the prices of essential goods were rising daily while people struggled with despair and uncertainty.
Pakistani sources have confirmed to Afghanistan International that the country’s forces carried out strikes on Friday night against Taliban military sites and infrastructure in the provinces of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
According to the sources, the attacks targeted facilities linked to the Taliban’s Unit 313 and an ammunition depot in Kabul; the Tarawo training center and logistical infrastructure, including a fuel depot, in Kandahar; and the Shirnaw militant camp in Paktia.
The Pakistani sources stressed that militants were being trained at these sites.
Rejection of talks with the Taliban
At the same time, the sources rejected any negotiations or dialogue with the Afghan Taliban. They said no delegation from Pakistan had travelled to Kabul for talks with the group.
Earlier reports had suggested that a Pakistani delegation had gone to Kabul to hold discussions with the Taliban. However, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s foreign ministry also said that no official delegation had travelled to Afghanistan for negotiations.
Pakistan has also warned that if the Taliban do not stop supporting militant groups, they will face serious consequences.
UNAMA says at least four civilians were killed and 14 others, including women and children, injured in overnight attacks in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi area.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the casualties and urged both sides to immediately halt the fighting to prevent further civilian harm.
In a statement, the UN said civilians, particularly women and children, were paying the price for the clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan.
UNAMA added that since 26 February, at least 75 civilians have been killed and 193 others injured in Afghanistan during the fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan.