Pakistan kills Afghan civilians in fresh attack, needs change in strategy: Former US diplomat

Washington, Sep 21 (IANS) Former US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday slammed Pakistan for once again attacking Afghanistan and killing civilians, saying Islamabad’s approach to its internal crises and its relations with Kabul was not working.”Once again, Pakistan has attacked Afghanistan, killing civilians. This attack takes place as Pakistan’s internal crises intensify. Clearly, the current Pakistani approach to dealing with internal crises and relations with Afghanistan is not working. More of the same is not the solution,” Khalilzad posted on X.

“When one is in a hole, the smart thing to do is to stop digging. Pakistan needs a change in strategy on dealing with key internal crises and on Afghanistan. I remain doubtful that the current leadership will change strategy. The current approach means more bad news for Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he added.

Khalilzad’s remarks came in response to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirming civilian deaths in overnight airstrikes in the country’s east.

“UNAMA has confirmed at least three civilians, including a man, a woman and a girl, were killed and four injured in apparent airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar province in the early hours of 21 September,” the UN mission said.

Earlier on Monday, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on Kunar and Paktika provinces, accusing Pakistan’s military leadership of launching the strikes to divert attention from security failures at home, and warned of an “appropriate response”.

“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, 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.

–IANS

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