By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has defended recent cross-border military actions, describing them as part of a broader and long-running campaign against terrorism rather than isolated incidents.

Responding to questions by journalist Hamid Mir during an interview with Geo TV about reports in Western media regarding high civilian casualties in Kabul, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Chaudhry said official statements by Pakistan’s information minister should be treated as factual and viewed within the wider context of Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq.

He stressed that the operation represents a continuation of Pakistan’s sustained fight against militant networks.

Chaudhry argued that the conflict has been “imposed” on Pakistan by terrorist groups and their external backers, as India supports such elements while using Afghan territory as a base.

“Innocent children, people and worshippers were killed during Friday prayers. Where did the terrorist come from? Afghanistan,” DG ISPR said.

“In the Wana Cadet College attack, five terrorists were killed, and all of them were Afghans … Our police and people are under attack, and where are these terrorists coming from? They are coming from Afghanistan,” he said.

The military spokesman further stated that several recent attacks in border regions such as Bajaur and Wana involved Afghan nationals, adding that key terrorist leaders, including Noor Wali, Bashir Zeb, and Gul Bahadur, are being sheltered across the border in Afghanistan.

“We have not imposed any war upon Afghanistan; The war on terror has been imposed on us,” he said.

“We have no issues with our Afghan brothers and sisters, absolutely not. They are themselves oppressed by the Afghan Taliban regime,” he said.

According to him, this demonstrates that Afghan soil is being used as a sanctuary for anti-Pakistan groups.

He emphasized that Pakistan’s operations are directed strictly at “terrorists and their support infrastructure,” not the Afghan population, whom he described as victims of difficult conditions under Taliban rule.

He added that Pakistan had initially targeted terrorist hideouts near the border, particularly those linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, but the situation escalated after the Afghan Taliban attacked 53 Pakistani check posts, prompting a broader response.

“Everyone [must know] that they initiated it and we responded, and we are going to take them to task.”

The remarks come amid controversy over recent strikes in Kabul. Afghan authorities have claimed that over 400 people were killed, including civilians, at a rehabilitation facility.

However, Pakistani officials maintain that only military and militant-linked targets were hit and no health facility was targeted during the airstrike on Kabul.

According to emerging accounts cited by Pakistani officials, the strike targeted Taliban-linked military installations near the site, while claims have circulated that a nearby drug rehabilitation center caught fire after half an hour, as some unknown militants entered the facility and set fire to the building. These claims remain disputed and independently unverified.

The escalation follows a sharp deterioration in relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with cross-border violence increasing in recent weeks. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghan authorities of harboring militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.

However, on Wednesday evening, both sides announced a pause in ongoing clashes in respect of Eid-ul-Fitr, following mediation by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Qatar.