"Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us. Today, when attempts were made to target Pakistan with aggression, by the grace of God, our armed forces are giving a decisive response. Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces and expected the Taliban to focus on the welfare of the Afghan people and regional stability."
"Instead, he alleged, the Taliban had turned Afghanistan into a colony of India, gathered militants from around the world and begun exporting terrorism. Asif also accused the Taliban government of denying Afghans basic human rights, including rights for women that he said are guaranteed under Islam."
"Afghanistan on Thursday launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday. Early Friday, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces. At least three explosions were heard in Kabul."
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif announced that his country has exhausted its patience with Afghanistan and now considers the relationship an open war following reciprocal military strikes. The escalation began with an Afghan cross-border attack, prompting Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul and other provinces. Asif accused the Taliban government of transforming Afghanistan into a colony of India, harboring global militants, and exporting terrorism. He claimed Pakistan had previously sought peace and stability after NATO's withdrawal but found the Taliban focused on destabilization instead. Asif also criticized Taliban governance regarding human rights, particularly women's rights. The escalation threatens a Qatar-mediated ceasefire between the nations.
#pakistan-afghanistan-conflict #military-escalation #cross-border-attacks #taliban-governance #regional-security
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]