PM Shehbaz calls for zero tolerance policy towards Afghan Taliban and ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ alliance

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that Pakistan should adopt a “zero tolerance” policy towards the alliance between the Afghan Taliban regime and the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group.

Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban regime’s key military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia through effective airstrikes early Friday. The military spokesman said the ongoing ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ against the Afghan Taliban yielded the desired results and continued successfully.

He said Pakistan had “effectively repulsed” Afghan Taliban insurgents at 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy casualties while exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties.

The Premier paid a visit to the General Headquarters (GHQ) along with members of the Federal Cabinet in the wake of the situation where the military leadership gave a detailed briefing on the situation regarding the recent conflict with Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz reviewed the latest developments along the border with Afghanistan. During the briefing, military officials presented an overview of the ongoing situation and security concerns related to Afghan Taliban forces.

“Zero tolerance must be adopted towards the alliance of Fitna al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban regime and their nefarious activities. Actions by the Afghan Taliban regime and Fitna al-Khawarij against Pakistan is unacceptable,” he was quoted as saying in a statement broadcast on X by state broadcaster. PTV News.

Read more: ‘Op Ghazab Lil Haq’ against Afghan Taliban continues as Pakistan achieves ‘desired results’: DG ISPR

He further praised the leadership of Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, highlighting the readiness of Pakistan Armed Forces to protect the nation.

“Pakistan knows well how to defend itself against any aggression,” the prime minister said as he praised the military’s professional capacity to thwart attacks in the Afghan Taliban regime’s border areas and launch a full retaliatory response.

“The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with its Pakistani armed forces to defend the homeland.”

The federal government has consistently raised its voice in international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and using its soil to launch attacks on Pakistan.

After a series of suicide bombings, Pakistan early on Sunday morning carried out intelligence-based attacks on seven terrorist camps along the Afghan border.

Security sources said Pakistan conducted a major intelligence-based air operation in eastern Afghanistan targeting seven key hideouts and killing several terrorists, including Taliban commander Akhtar Muhammad.

According to sources, jets hit terror hideouts in Bermal district of Paktika where loud explosions were heard across the area. Facilities used by terrorists were reported heavily damaged.

Earlier this month, a suicide bomber struck Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers in Islamabad, killing 36 people and injuring around 169 others. The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad in more than a decade and the deadliest nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.

Immediately after the blast, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, resulting in the arrest of four facilitators. The Daesh-linked mastermind, an Afghan national, was also captured. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that the network behind the explosion had been trained in Afghanistan and that the authorities had gathered intelligence on the suspects prior to the attack.

In 2023, a UN report also revealed that the TTP had established a new base in KP by mid-2023. The report shed light on close links not only between the TTP and the Afghan Taliban, but also with anti-Pakistani groups and al Qaeda.

Read this: breeding ground for terror

The report further revealed that some Taliban members had also joined the TTP, perceiving it as a religious obligation to provide support.

Interlocutors reported that TTP members and their families received regular aid packages from the Taliban.

Importantly, the UN report noted a significant increase in Afghan nationals in TTP ranks. This supported Pakistan’s position that an increasing number of Afghan nationals were involved in suicide attacks in the country.

Recently, a UN Security Council report said attacks on Pakistan by the TTP from Afghanistan have increased, supporting Islamabad’s long-standing complaints about militant sanctuaries across the border. The 37th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, dated February 4, not only supported Islamabad’s position that Afghanistan had become a haven for militants using its territory to launch attacks on Pakistan, but also came at a time when the country is facing a renewed wave of violence.