Civil-Military Leadership Backs Decisive Border Response
News Desk/APP
Rawalpindi/Islamabad: Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership on Friday signalled a unified and uncompromising stance over escalating tensions with Afghanistan, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed at General Headquarters (GHQ) and the Senate unanimously condemned what it termed unprovoked Afghan aggression.
During a high-level briefing at GHQ in Rawalpindi, the prime minister was apprised of the evolving situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
He directed that “zero tolerance” be shown toward the nexus between Fitna al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban regime, declaring their actions against Pakistan “unacceptable.”
Reaffirming confidence in the armed forces, the prime minister said Pakistan knew how to defend itself against any aggression and lauded the military’s professional response in repelling cross-border attacks.
He emphasized that the nation stood firmly behind the armed forces under the leadership of Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces.
Heavy Losses Reported
Earlier, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry detailed the scale of Pakistan’s retaliatory operation, titled Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq.
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, he said 274 personnel of the Taliban regime and Khwarij had been killed so far, with more than 400 others injured. He added that 73 posts had been completely destroyed and 18 captured during the operation.
According to conservative estimates shared by the military spokesperson, 115 tanks, armoured personnel carriers (APCs), and artillery pieces were destroyed.
He stated that the Afghan Taliban regime had opened fire on 53 localities across 15 sectors along the border, prompting a calibrated response from Pakistani forces.
The DG ISPR said 22 locations in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika were selected as targets based on intelligence assessments.
He maintained that all strikes were directed at strictly military objectives, including corps, brigade, battalion, and sector headquarters, ammunition depots, logistics bases, and hideouts allegedly sheltering terrorists and facilitators, with deliberate measures taken to avoid civilian collateral damage.
On the Pakistani side, 12 soldiers embraced martyrdom while defending the country’s territorial integrity, 27 were injured, and one soldier remains missing in action, he added.
Senate Adopts Resolution Backing State Response
In Islamabad, the Senate adopted a comprehensive resolution condemning Afghanistan’s cross-border actions, presented by Sherry Rehman.
The resolution signalled rare political unity on national security, although PTI members expressed support without formally signing it, advocating instead for a broader regional security framework.
The resolution unequivocally denounced what it described as unprovoked aggression and violations of international law and diplomatic norms emanating from Afghan territory.
It declared that any challenge to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, or national security would be met with a firm, proportionate, and decisive response.
The upper house paid tribute to the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, recalling that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghan nationals for over four decades and extended humanitarian and diplomatic support for Afghanistan’s stability, often at considerable cost to its own development and security.
The Senate expressed disappointment over what it termed hostile rhetoric, cross-border violations, and the continued presence of anti-Pakistan militant elements operating from Afghan soil.
It demanded that the Afghan Taliban regime immediately cease hostile actions, prevent the use of its territory for terrorism against Pakistan, and adhere to international obligations.
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Calling on the international community to take note, the resolution urged global stakeholders to press Kabul to comply with international norms and prevent further regional destabilization.
Following the vote, Senator Rehman warned that Pakistan’s patience should not be misconstrued as weakness. Referring to commitments made under the Doha process, she questioned Kabul’s adherence to past undertakings and invoked Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, affirming Pakistan’s right to self-defence.
She reiterated that Pakistan had pursued diplomatic avenues consistently but was compelled to respond within the framework of international law.
Stressing national preparedness, she said the country possessed full capacity for both counter-terrorism and conventional warfare.
As tensions persist along the border, Friday’s developments underscored a consolidated state posture, blending military action with parliamentary endorsement, aimed at defending sovereignty while framing the response within international legal parameters.
