President says regime has “brought grave consequences upon itself” after drones injure four
President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday strongly condemned drone strikes by Afghan Taliban elements targeting civilian areas across Pakistan, calling the strikes a provocation by an “illegitimate regime” that had crossed a “red line”.
SECRETARIAT OF THE PRESIDENT
(Media Wing)
*****PRESS RELEASE
The president condemns drone strikes targeting Pakistani civilian areas
Islamabad: March 14, 2026 – President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the rudimentary drone strikes carried out yesterday by Afghan Taliban…
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) 14 March 2026
Further, the President expressed best wishes to those affected and injured by drone debris in Quetta, Kohat and Rawalpindi.
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“The illegitimate regime in Afghanistan, installed by terror and brute force, continues to renege on its obligations not to provide safe havens to terrorist groups,” Zardari said in a statement issued by the presidential secretariat. He added that the regime “now has the audacity to provoke a major military power in the Islamic world.”
Zardari noted the timing of the strikes, pointing out that they came “while Pakistan remains engaged in efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia.” He said the Afghan Taliban regime’s overtures to negotiate with friendly countries rang hollow in the face of attacks on Pakistani civilians.
“The illegitimate and terrorist Taliban regime has brought dire consequences upon itself by crossing this red line,” Zardari said.
Read more: 663 Afghan Taliban killed, 249 checkpoints destroyed during Operation Ghazab Lil Haq: Tarar
Reaffirming the state’s commitment to national security, the president said Pakistan’s armed forces and security institutions remain “fully committed to defending the country and protecting its people.” He repeated the same position in a post on X.
President Zardari strongly condemned the drone strikes targeting Pakistani civilian areas, saying the Afghan Taliban were crossing a red line. 🇵🇰 will not tolerate its civilians being targeted. Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against neighbors. 🇵🇰 will defend his people.
— President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) 14 March 2026
The country’s armed forces intercepted rudimentary drones allegedly launched by the Afghan Taliban yesterday in what officials described as a failed attempt to harass civilians, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
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The military’s media wing said the drones were detected and neutralized through a combination of defensive measures before they could reach their intended targets.
However, falling debris from the intercepted drones caused injuries to civilians in several cities. According to the statement, two children were injured in Quetta, while one civilian each sustained injuries in Kohat and Rawalpindi. All injured individuals received medical attention and were reported to be in stable condition.
