KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said Afghanistan’s Taliban forces had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on Pakistani civilian areas, warning of its “grave consequences” for the Afghan government.
The cross-border strikes and clashes, which erupted late last month, have shown no signs of abating despite efforts by China, Turkiye and other countries to broker a ceasefire.
Pakistan said its forces had intercepted the drones launched on Friday, but falling debris injured two children in the city of Quetta and two people elsewhere in the country.
“While the Afghan terrorist regime seeks negotiations with our friendly countries, it crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians while Pakistan remains engaged in efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia,” Zardari said in a statement, adding that Kabul has brought “grave consequences upon itself” by doing so.
The statement came a day after the Afghan Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Kabul, the country’s capital, and other areas in eastern Afghanistan, saying at least six civilians were killed and 15 other were injured.
Kabul later claimed its air force responded by targeting military installations near Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, and in northwestern Pakistan.
Pakistan denied targeting civilians, saying its operations are focused on Pakistani Taliban militants and their support networks. Islamabad has referred the conflict as an “open war,” adding to concerns among the international community about regional stability as the US-Israeli war with Iran has engulfed the Middle East and beyond.
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban government of harboring militant groups, mainly the Pakistani Taliban, that cross the porous border between the two countries to stage attacks against Pakistani forces. Kabul denies harboring militant groups.
On Friday, a roadside bomb targeting Pakistani police killed seven officers in the northwestern district of Lakki Marwat.
“Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against neighbors,” Zardari said in a separate X post. “Pakistan will defend its people.”
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday urged for a peaceful resolution of the Afghanistan-Pakistan dispute, warning the use of force worsens tensions and threatens regional stability.
A Qatari-mediated ceasefire in October briefly reduced tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but subsequent talks in Turkiye failed to produce a lasting agreement.
