‘Breach of Afghanistan’s sovereignty’: Former President Karzai condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes in Kunar, Paktika
Kabul, Sep 21 (IANS) Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Monday condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika, describing the action as a “breach of Afghanistan’s sovereignty”.
Karzai also offered condolences to the families of the victims and wished speedy recovery for those injured in Pakistan’s airstrikes.
He said that Pakistan was facing current security problems due to the country’s “misguided policies” about Afghanistan and expressed hope that Pakistani authorities would review their policies and choose the path of good neighbourliness.
Karzai’s statement comes after Taliban authorities said that Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika, claiming three lives and injuring four others.
In a Pashto post on X, Karzai wrote that he “strongly condemned” the Pakistan airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika, “which resulted in the martyrdom and wounding of a number of our compatriots”, and termed “this violation a breach of Afghanistan’s sovereignty”.
Earlier, the ruling Taliban’s chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the Pakistani airstrikes and warned that they would give an “appropriate response” to the attacks.
Mujahid said that Pakistan’s attacks targeted Afghan territory and civilians and accused the Pakistani military leadership of launching strikes on Afghan territory to divert people’s attention from security failures within their country.
“Crime and Aggression: Last night, the invading Pakistani army bombarded civilian areas of Afghanistan in Kunar and Paktika provinces. In Kunar, one woman and two men were martyred, and two women and two men were wounded; all of them are local civilian residents. In Paktika, one house and one local shop were bombed, with no casualties reported,” Mujahid posted on X.
“We condemn this aggression and oppression and consider it a repetition of crimes. Pakistan’s military establishment, in order to divert attention from its own internal security failures, has once again committed such a crime. Afghans will give an appropriate response to this aggression, God willing,” he added.
The latest attacks come amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past few months, with repeated exchanges of fire and growing concerns over civilian casualties. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to stop armed groups, especially the TTP, from operating on Afghan soil, a claim rejected by Afghan authorities.
On July 28, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that 57 people have been killed and 342 others injured in cross-border armed violence in Afghanistan between April 1 and June 30.
In a report, UNAMA said airstrikes and ground engagements were the primary causes of civilian harm. It attributed all cross-border civilian casualties recorded during this period to Pakistani security forces.
According to UNAMA’s update on civilian casualties in Afghanistan from April-June, 26 children were killed, and 86 were injured, while six women were killed and 34 were injured.
In the statement, the UN agency said: “The largest number of civilian casualties were caused by airstrikes carried out by Pakistani security forces in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces on June 28, followed by shelling in Kunar province between April 27 to 29 April.”
The UNAMA said that cross-border shelling by Pakistani security forces in Afghanistan’s Kunar province from April 27-29 resulted in 99 civilian casualties, including eight killed and 91 injured.
–IANS
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