Pakistan Rejects Afghan Taliban’s Allegations of Civilian Casualties

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has rejected what it described as baseless allegations by the Afghan Taliban government regarding civilian casualties during counterterrorism operations, asserting that the country has the right to defend itself against terrorist threats.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said unsubstantiated accusations and misleading narratives could neither conceal the threat posed by terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory nor absolve the Afghan Taliban authorities of their responsibility to prevent Afghan soil from being used to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan.

The spokesperson said terrorist attacks had caused more than 3,500 casualties in Pakistan during 2026 alone.

Citing reports by relevant United Nations bodies and monitoring teams, the statement alleged that the Afghan Taliban government continued to provide protection and freedom of operation to several militant organisations, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Fitna al-Khawarij, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Fitna al-Hindustan and affiliated groups.

According to the Foreign Office, these organisations posed a serious threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond.

The statement further alleged that numerous Pakistani civilians had been killed in terrorist attacks planned, financed, supported and carried out from Afghan territory, with the involvement or assistance of the Afghan Taliban authorities.

The spokesperson said no responsible state could remain passive while its citizens and security forces were repeatedly targeted.

Pakistan maintained that its actions in response to such attacks had been undertaken as a last resort, in accordance with the principles of necessity and its right to self-defence. The statement said the operations had targeted terrorists and their logistical support facilities inside Afghanistan.

It added that Pakistan’s response had been proportionate to the threat and that the principles of distinction and precaution had been observed in selecting targets. The scale and scope of the operations, the Foreign Office said, reflected the severity and growing frequency of terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

Pakistan also urged the international community to hold the Afghan Taliban government accountable for what it described as a failure to meet its obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and other commitments, particularly regarding the prevention of terrorism originating from Afghan territory.

The Foreign Office concluded that Pakistan reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the safety and security of its citizens.