By Mashal Khan

ISLAMABAD -  Pakistan has strongly condemned the latest wave of unprovoked cross-border aggression by Afghan Taliban forces, which launched coordinated attacks on Pakistani border posts and civilian areas on Saturday evening — just hours after Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met his Indian counterpart and senior defense officials in New Delhi.

According to security sources, the attacks targeted multiple locations along the Pak-Afghan border, including sectors in Chaman, Kurram, Bajaur, Dir, and Nushki, in what officials described as a “deliberate and unprovoked escalation.” The Pakistani Army responded swiftly and forcefully, engaging the attackers with precision strikes and destroying several Taliban posts and military installations.

In a strong statement issued on Sunday, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the Afghan aggression and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to defend its sovereignty at all costs. “Firing by Afghan forces on civilian populations is a blatant violation of international law,” Naqvi said, calling the attacks “a reckless act of hostility that endangered innocent lives.”

The interior minister lauded Pakistan’s armed forces for their “swift and effective” response, saying it had sent a clear message to those attempting to destabilize Pakistan’s borders. “Our courageous forces have shown, through their immediate and powerful retaliation, that any provocation will never be tolerated,” Naqvi stated.

Emphasizing Pakistan’s defensive preparedness, the minister added, “Our forces are fully alert, and Afghanistan is being answered stone for stone.” He further alleged that the wave of violence along the western border was not an isolated incident but rather part of a wider pattern backed by hostile external elements. “The game of fire and blood being played from Afghanistan has links that trace back to our eternal enemy,” Naqvi remarked — a veiled reference to India.

Security analysts in Islamabad noted the timing of the aggression, coming directly after Muttaqi’s high-profile meetings with Indian officials in New Delhi, as highly suspicious. They suggested that the attacks may have been coordinated or influenced by foreign actors seeking to provoke Pakistan and divert regional attention.

Naqvi reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to defend its territorial integrity with full force and public unity. “The people of Pakistan stand with our brave armed forces like a wall of reinforced metal,” he said. “Afghanistan will be dealt a decisive response, just like India was, so that it will not dare to cast even a hostile glance toward Pakistan.”

The situation along the western border remains tense, with reports of ongoing Pakistani countermeasures against Taliban positions and continued surveillance of cross-border movements. Officials in Islamabad have described the developments as “a serious breach of trust” by the Taliban government and warned that further aggression will invite “an even stronger response.”