RASC News Agency: According to a report by The Washington Post, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has defended his country’s ongoing military operations in Afghanistan, stating that Islamabad pursued extensive diplomatic efforts before initiating cross-border strikes. He called on the Taliban authorities in Kabul to disarm armed groups operating from Afghanistan’s territory.
Pakistan previously described the current confrontation with the Taliban as an “open war,” a characterization that has heightened international concern over escalating border tensions.
Border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have, in recent years, become hubs for militant activity, including networks linked to Al-Qaeda and the group commonly referred to as Islamic State (ISIS). Their continued presence is widely viewed as a destabilizing factor for regional security.
President Zardari emphasized that Pakistan expects the Taliban to dismantle support structures benefiting armed factions that sustain cycles of violence and war economies. Pakistani officials argue that no state would tolerate repeated militant attacks against its territory and assert that Islamabad’s operations are targeted actions aimed at military elements based in border areas.
In response, Taliban authorities claimed their forces had targeted Pakistani military positions near the border following Pakistani airstrikes. The Taliban’s defense ministry alleged significant damage to a Pakistani military facility in Paktia province. Pakistan’s military has not issued an official comment on that claim.
Islamabad has previously maintained that its operations are designed to minimize civilian casualties and focus strictly on military objectives.
The latest escalation follows the collapse of ceasefire efforts launched in October with mediation by Qatar and Turkey. Subsequent talks held in Istanbul failed to produce a sustainable agreement.
Pakistan continues to accuse the Taliban of allowing anti-Islamabad armed groups most notably Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to maintain safe havens inside Afghanistan. The Taliban reject these allegations.
In his remarks, President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue, insisting that Islamabad has not abandoned diplomatic channels. At the same time, he accused the Taliban of being used as a “proxy instrument” for certain regional agendas, warning that turning Afghanistan into a theater of power competition could further destabilize South Asia.
The report also referenced assessments by the United Nations Security Council monitoring team, which has described the continued presence of militant groups in Afghanistan as a transregional threat. According to that evaluation, sustained extremist activity risks worsening insecurity, triggering displacement, and deepening humanitarian crises across the region.
The unfolding confrontation underscores the fragile security landscape along the Afghanistan–Pakistan frontier. While Islamabad frames its actions as defensive and targeted, the persistence of armed networks and the breakdown of ceasefire efforts suggest that without credible, verifiable measures to curb cross-border militancy, the cycle of retaliation may continue to intensify.
