Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry briefed the Senate on Monday on recent strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, pointing out that they were carried out following multiple attacks by militants in Pakistan and saying that Islamabad “cannot tolerate this anymore”.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan in a retaliatory operation late on Saturday night, targeting groups responsible for recent attacks in its territory.
The strikes were conducted in retaliation for a series of suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu that had claimed the lives of Pakistani security personnel and civilians.
Mentioning these incidents, Chaudhry said they were “linked” to Afghanistan-based actors, adding that it was subsequently decided to give a “decisive response” to the neighbouring country.
“As a result, our Air Force carried out strikes in three Afghan provinces, Paktika, Nangarhar and Khost on February 21,” he said, adding that there were reports of the deaths of over 100 militants who “controlled terrorist networks” in the operation.
He said the February 21 strikes were “precise” and “intelligence-based”.
The minister insisted that they only targeted terrorists’ hideouts and training camps. He dispelled what he described as “false propaganda of civilians, mosques and seminaries getting hit” during the strikes.
Chaudhry warned that if terrorist attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil continued, Pakistan reserved the right to carry out strikes in its defence.
“We are not supposed to just attend funerals. The civilian leadership and armed forces are resolute that this cannot be tolerated anymore,” he asserted.
He said, “Every drop of blood of our martyrs, be they from the security forces or civilians, will be avenged. Every corner of the country will be defended.”
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