KARACHI: Afghan authorities in Kabul said on Wednesday they summoned the Pakistani chargé d’affaires after reported airstrikes by Pakistan in Paktika province that killed at least 46 people, warning such actions undermined bilateral trust and highlighting Afghanistan’s history of defending its sovereignty against major global powers.
The airstrikes reportedly targeted Afghanistan’s eastern district of Bermal, days after Pakistan claimed it thwarted a cross-border incursion by a banned militant network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), whose leadership is said to be based on Afghan soil.
The incident comes amid escalating militant attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with TTP recently claiming responsibility for an overnight raid on a Pakistani military outpost that killed 16 soldiers.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of facilitating such attacks, a charge denied by Kabul.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul this afternoon and delivered a letter of strong protest regarding the bombing by Pakistani military aircraft near the Durand Line, in the Bermal district of Paktika province, Afghanistan,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which has a long history of struggle to defend the country against great powers, will never accept the violation of the nation’s sovereignty and is resolutely prepared to defend the country’s independence and territorial integrity,” it added.
Afghan victims injured in a reported Pakistani air strike, receive medical treatment at a hospital in Sharan, capital of Paktika province on December 25, 2024, a day after the attack. (AFP)
The reported airstrikes coincided with a visit to Kabul by Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, to discuss trade and regional ties.
During the visit, Sadiq met Afghanistan’s acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, to offer condolences over the Dec. 11 killing of his uncle, Khalil Haqqani, in a suicide bombing claimed by Daesh.
Sadiq also held talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, describing the discussions as “wide-ranging” and focused on strengthening cooperation and fostering peace.
The Afghan foreign ministry maintained that while representatives of Pakistan’s civilian government were engaged in dialogue with Afghan officials in Kabul, the actions of Pakistani military aimed “to create distrust between the two countries.”
“Furthermore, it was made clear to the Pakistani side that the protection of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty is a red line for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and such irresponsible actions will undoubtedly have consequences,” it continued.
Earlier this year in March, airstrikes by Pakistan’s military in Afghan border regions prompted skirmishes on the frontier.
No statement has yet been issued by Pakistan’s military or foreign office regarding the strikes.
