By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, voiced deep concern over the recent escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, describing the Taliban government’s reported unprovoked firing and raids as “a serious provocation” and defending the country’s retaliatory strikes as necessary measures to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dar said Pakistan’s “befitting response and strikes are against Taliban infrastructure and to neutralize Fitna-e-Khawarij and Fitna-e-Hindustan terrorist elements operating from Afghan soil.” He framed the operations as defensive actions aimed at dismantling militant networks that, Islamabad alleges, have used Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks into Pakistan.

Dar stressed that Pakistan’s use of force was calibrated to avoid civilian harm. “Our defensive response is not targeted towards the peace-loving Afghan civilian population,” he wrote, adding that “unlike Taliban forces, we are exercising extreme caution in our defensive responses to avoid loss of civilian lives.” The comment seeks to draw a clear distinction between Pakistani operations — which Islamabad describes as precision responses against militant infrastructure — and what it characterizes as indiscriminate actions by Taliban units.

The foreign minister also called on the Taliban government to act against militant groups operating within Afghanistan. “We expect the Taliban government to take concrete measures against terrorist elements and their perpetrators that wish to derail Pak-Afghan relations,” he said, urging Kabul to prevent its soil from being used as a launchpad for attacks.

Dar concluded with a firm statement of resolve: “Pakistan will take all possible measures to defend its own territory, sovereignty and its people.” The message underscores Islamabad’s determination to secure its western frontier amid what officials say is a recent uptick in cross-border incidents and militant infiltration.

Analysts say Dar’s message performs several domestic and diplomatic functions. Domestically, it reassures Pakistani audiences that the government is responding decisively to security threats and standing behind the military’s actions. Diplomatically, it places pressure on the Taliban to rein in militant groups and sends a public warning to external actors Islamabad accuses of fomenting instability along the border.

The situation remains tense along several border sectors, where both sides have reported exchanges of fire and movement of troops. Islamabad maintains that its strikes are targeted and necessary to degrade militant capabilities; Kabul’s interim authorities, for their part, have condemned some cross-border operations in the past and framed them as violations of Afghan sovereignty.

Dar’s statement signals that Pakistan is prepared to continue defensive measures while simultaneously calling on the Taliban to take responsibility for preventing terrorist activities emanating from Afghan territory.