Pakistan rejects British envoy’s 'one-sided' remarks on cross-border attacks by Afghan Taliban

Islamabad (Web Desk): The Foreign Office (FO) has issued a strong response to a social media post by the British Special Representative for Afghanistan, rejecting what it called one-sided observations and saying they reflect a limited understanding of the realities along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

In a statement released on Saturday, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan had taken notice of the British SRA’s post concerning recent developments in the border region.

He stated that the situation on the frontier remains highly sensitive due to continued hostile activity from across the border.

The statement read, "We have seen the social media post by the British SRA regarding developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border."

It further noted that tensions have persisted despite Pakistan’s earlier gesture of restraint, adding, "Cross-border aggression and terrorist infiltration attempts from the Afghan side have continued unabated despite Pakistan's goodwill gesture of a temporary pause, announced in March 2026."

The spokesperson said that since the announcement of the pause, Pakistan has faced ongoing security challenges, including repeated violent incidents.

It was stated that "indiscriminate and unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, and terrorist activities by Afghan Taliban-supported Indian proxies inside Pakistan, have resulted in the shahadat [martyrdom] of 52 civilians and 84 injuries."

The Foreign Office maintained that Pakistan has responded in a controlled and precise manner, targeting only militant positions and infrastructure used to support such activities, saying Pakistan has been "precisely targeting Afghan Taliban posts and terrorist support infrastructure" while also continuing to intercept and stop "multiple infiltration attempts from the Afghan side."

Rejecting claims of civilian harm on the Afghan side, the statement argued that such allegations are not backed by credible evidence and should not be viewed in isolation from the broader context of terrorism.

It added, "Such unwarranted remarks, without linking them to the root cause of terrorism, do not offer a balanced and objective perspective," while urging greater awareness of regional complexities.

The spokesperson also highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding position on counterterrorism and referred to what he described as the "unparalleled sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism."

The remarks came after UK Special Envoy for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay expressed concern on social media platform X over rising violence along the border, referring to reported incidents in Afghanistan’s Kunar province and calling for measures to safeguard civilian lives and avoid further escalation.

His comments followed his recent visit to Afghanistan, where he encouraged dialogue and restraint during meetings with officials.

On the security front, Pakistan’s armed forces reported killing 13 militants on Friday while successfully preventing two separate infiltration attempts along the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) border, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations.

On the same day, local officials in Bajaur stated that at least nine civilians had lost their lives and 12 others were injured over the past two months due to cross-border firing and shelling.

A day earlier, security sources reported that five people were wounded after Afghan Taliban forces allegedly fired shells and targeted civilian areas near Angoor Adda in South Waziristan.