ISLAMABAD – The military leadership on Friday briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on prevailing situation on Pakistan-Afghanistan border. During the briefing held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the Prime Minister said zero tolerance should be shown for the nexus and malicious actions of Fitna al-Khawarij and Afghan Taliban regime.
“The actions of the Afghan Taliban regime and Fitna al-Khawarij against Pakistan are unacceptable,” he said. “The Pakistani Armed Forces, under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, are always ready to protect the country.” “Pakistan knows how to defend itself against any aggression,” he remarked. The Prime Minister lauded the professional capabilities of the Pakistani Armed Forces for retaliating vigorously and repelling attacks of the Afghan Taliban regime in the border areas. He said, “The entire nation stands by its Pakistani Armed Forces to protect the homeland.”
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed its forces in major cities and dozens of troops were killed in the most serious clashes between the allies-turned-foes.
The strikes by Pakistan were the first time it had directly targeted its former allies over allegations they are harbouring militants; it described the situation as “open war”.
The air and ground strikes, which hit Taliban military posts, headquarters and ammunition depots in multiple sectors along the border, came after Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistani border forces, the officials said.
Earlier, border clashes between the two countries killed dozens of soldiers in October until negotiations facilitated by Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia ceased the hostilities and a fragile ceasefire was put in place.
The escalating conflict is a long way from Islamabad’s historic support for the Taliban. The key questions:
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the nexus between terrorists and Afghan Taliban regime is now as clear as daylight.
In a televised address on Friday, he said Afghanistan extends all kinds of facilitation and support, including training, to these terrorists to target innocent civilians and security personnel in Pakistan. He added that Afghan citizens were involved in recent terrorist attacks in Islamabad.
The Minister said the oppressive Afghan Taliban regime attempts to undermine rights of the women, minorities and children. He said the regime’s new criminal regulation is aimed at legalizing slavery, violence and repression of women. He said the regulation is a sheer violation of the international human rights and basic Islamic principles of equality and dignity.
Attaullah Tarar further said women are not allowed to have access to public parks, gyms, other recreational activities and education.
He said 80 percent of young Afghan women between the ages of 18 to 29 are not in education. Furthermore, women have been barred from doing job and their representation in decision making is zero.
