Islamabad — Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly rejected what he described as “false and baseless allegations” made by the Afghan Taliban regime against Pakistan, amid escalating tensions between the two sides.
Read More: Pakistan rejects Taliban claims over Kabul strike, defends operation
In a post on the social media platform X, Asif criticised the Afghan Taliban, accusing them of attempting to mislead the international community. He stated that those responsible for attacks on schoolchildren and worshippers were capable of targeting hospitals and then blaming Pakistan to gain global sympathy.
Killers of school children and worshippers in mosques are definitely capable of entering a hospital and killing patients and then blaming Pakistan just to attract international sympathy. https://t.co/3iAa2ErFIB
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) March 17, 2026
Earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, speaking on a television programme, said the Afghan Taliban must decide whether they stand with terrorists or with Pakistan. He reiterated Islamabad’s stance that militant networks operating from Afghan territory pose a serious threat to regional security.
The statements come in the wake of Pakistan’s recent military action under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, during which airstrikes were carried out in Kabul and Nangarhar. According to Pakistani officials, the strikes targeted ammunition depots and technical infrastructure used by militant groups, resulting in significant destruction.
Tarar rejected claims by Afghan authorities that civilian facilities, including a rehabilitation centre, had been targeted. He said the locations hit were being used to store explosives, and subsequent blasts at the sites confirmed the presence of ammunition.
Read More: Pakistan inflicts heavy losses on Afghan Taliban
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Afghan interior ministry had alleged that hundreds of people were killed in an attack on a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts. Pakistani officials dismissed the claim as propaganda, maintaining that only militant-linked infrastructure was targeted.
The latest exchange of accusations highlights growing tensions between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban regime, with both sides trading claims over cross-border security incidents and the presence of militant groups.