ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday confirmed carrying out “carefully targeted” strikes inside Afghanistan against hideouts of Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij, saying the action was necessary to eliminate militant hideouts but insisted it respected Kabul’s sovereignty and wanted to resolve disputes through dialogue.
Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told a weekly press briefing that “Fitna al-Khawarij” (a term used by Islamabad for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants) posed a direct threat to regional security. “Pakistan targeted terrorist sanctuaries with caution, while at the same time dispatching humanitarian aid to Afghan earthquake victims,” he said.
Khan rejected Afghan Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob’s criticism of Pakistan, stressing that “terrorism is a reality, and such statements do not reduce the gravity of the challenge.”
The spokesperson said Germany’s offer to take in Afghan refugees was “encouraging” and showed Berlin’s seriousness about evacuation efforts. He also defended Pakistan’s visa policy, saying Islamabad had issued a large number of visas to Afghans but the decision on their legal stay remained “solely Pakistan’s prerogative.”
Khan underlined that Pakistan respected Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity. “We prefer dialogue to settle issues, but when terrorist threats emanate from Afghan soil, Pakistan will act in self-defense,” he said.
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The Foreign Office also condemned an Israeli strike on Gaza’s Al-Nasr Hospital that killed 21 people, including journalists, and confirmed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised the issue during recent meetings with world leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China.
