Relentless reckoning for Taliban

In a dramatic escalation along the volatile western frontier, Pakistan on Friday said it had carried out "precise and heavy" retaliatory operations inside Afghanistan, using massive airpower to bomb military bases, ammunition depots and other installations after what it described as repeated cross-border terrorist attacks and the latest "provocative military actions" by the Taliban regime.

Islamabad said it inflicted massive losses on Afghan regime troops and allied terrorist networks in retaliatory strikes that mark one of the gravest confrontations between the two neighbors since 2021.

The military said the flare-up followed coordinated cross-border attacks and raids carried out by Afghan Taliban forces in collusion with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), triggering a forceful and "measured" response from the armed forces.

Addressing a news conference, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that Pakistan's "immediate and effective response" resulted in the killing of 297 Afghan regime personnel and injuries to more than 450 others.

He also confirmed that 12 Pakistani soldiers had embraced martyrdom, 27 were injured and one soldier was missing in ongoing clashes along multiple sectors of the Pak-Afghan border.

According to the military spokesperson, Afghan Taliban forces opened fire and conducted incursions at 53 locations across 15 sectors along the border. He said that these actions were carried out in coordination with the TTP, which he described as a globally designated terrorist organisation.

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif further asserted that 89 Afghan posts had been completely destroyed in retaliatory operations, 18 posts were taken over by Pakistani forces, and 135 tanks and armoured vehicles were destroyed.

Providing background, he said that on the nights of February 21 and 22, Pakistani forces had conducted "very carefully calibrated" strikes against TTP hideouts at 22 locations inside Afghanistan. He maintained that no civilian casualties occurred in those operations.

"These actions against terrorist hideouts were used as a pretext by what he termed the 'master copy of terrorist organisations' — the Afghan Taliban — to launch a so-called action against Pakistan," he said.

The DG ISPR added that subsequent engagements included strikes on military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika. He said that in Kabul, an infantry brigade headquarters and other military facilities were targeted, while terrorist sanctuaries and weapons depots were destroyed.

He stressed that the operation was being conducted under the direction of the civilian leadership and would continue until "required objectives" were achieved.

"The Afghan regime will have to choose between Pakistan and terrorist groups," he said. "Our choice is clear — Pakistan, its security, its people and their honour."

The claims made by the Pakistani military could not be independently verified.

FO Invokes Right to Self-Defence

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strongly worded news release stating that Pakistan's defence forces had carried out "precise operations" against terrorist outfits and their logistical support bases in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Office said the action came in response to "repeated terrorist attacks by Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan" emanating from Afghan soil, as well as the latest "unwarranted and provocative actions" by the Taliban regime on the night of February 26.

Islamabad maintained that its actions were undertaken in exercise of Pakistan's inherent right to self-defence under international law and the UN Charter to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and the wider region.

It warned that any further provocations by the Taliban regime, or attempts by terrorist groups to undermine Pakistan's security and welfare, would be met with a "measured, decisive and befitting response."

The statement said Pakistan had consistently sought peaceful and constructive relations with Afghanistan and had remained engaged in diplomatic efforts to address the menace of terrorism emanating from Afghan territory. However, it regretted that its "numerous goodwill gestures and highly responsible approach" were misconstrued, leading to an increase in terrorist attacks allegedly carried out with the "active support and backing of the Taliban regime, as well as India."

Pakistan reiterated its resolve to uproot terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and called upon the Afghan authorities to end the "impunity" with which militant groups continue to operate from their soil. It also urged the international community to press the Taliban regime to take "concrete and verifiable action" against such outfits.

Islamabad said it reserved the right to take all appropriate measures in self-defence in accordance with international law.

Amid escalating tensions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, where he was given a comprehensive briefing by the military leadership on the evolving situation.

The prime minister declared "zero tolerance" for what he described as the nexus between Fitna-e-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban regime, terming actions against Pakistan "unacceptable."

Under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the armed forces were fully prepared to defend the country, he said.

"Pakistan knows well how to defend itself against any aggression," the premier remarked, praising the professionalism and operational readiness of the armed forces for repelling attacks in border areas and responding forcefully.

He added that the entire nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces in safeguarding the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said he had been specially briefed by the DG ISPR on the operation and the Pak-Afghan situation.

He said Pakistan had effectively responded to Afghan aggression and taken control of multiple Afghan posts. He accused the Afghan Taliban regime of backing terrorist groups and allowing Afghan soil to be used for recent attacks in Pakistan.

According to Tarar, Afghan nationals were involved in attacks on Islamabad's district courts and in Tarlai. He alleged that recent suicide attacks on the Judicial Complex and an imambargah in Islamabad were facilitated using Afghan territory.

Beyond security concerns, the minister criticised the Taliban's governance, describing the current setup in Kabul as an "illegal government" that had seized power by force.

He said the Taliban's newly introduced criminal code institutionalised repression, violence and discrimination against women, and was in direct violation of international human rights conventions as well as incompatible with Islamic principles of equality and dignity.

Tarar claimed that nearly 80% of Afghan women aged 18 to 29 were deprived of education, that Afghanistan had the highest gender gap in labour force participation globally, and that women had been systematically excluded from political decision-making at all levels.

The latest exchange of fire and sharp rhetoric signals a perilous phase in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. While Islamabad insists it seeks peace and regional stability, it has made clear that cross-border attacks and alleged state-backed militancy will invite a forceful response.