Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday refuted claims by the Afghan Taliban regime alleging that Pakistan had struck a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, stating that “This claim is entirely baseless.”
The minister clarified in a statement that Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations are strictly focused on military and terrorist sites, along with infrastructure belonging to the Afghan Taliban regime, that are “being directly or indirectly used to plan, facilitate, shelter, train, or abet terrorist attacks inside Pakistan,” he emphasized.
Addressing the airstrikes conducted on the night of 16 March 2026 in Kabul and Nangarhar, Tarar described them as precise and professional, noting that “No hospital, no drug rehabilitation centre, and no civilian facility was targeted.”
He explained that the strikes were directed solely at military and terrorist installations, such as ammunition and technical equipment storage facilities, and other sites associated with hostile actions against Pakistan.
The minister added that consistent with standard practice, all six strikes were swiftly released with video evidence by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, demonstrating the true nature of the targets.
“The visuals leave no room for doubt,” Tarar said, pointing out that the flames and secondary explosions visible in Kabul further verified that the intended ammunition depots had been accurately hit.
Tarar criticized the Taliban regime for consistently resorting to “false narratives, doctored claims, selective deletions of earlier posts, and the circulation of old visuals to mislead audiences and cover up the truth,” describing their latest accusation as a continuation of this same misleading pattern.
He underlined that the core issue remains unchanged: the persistent threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan Taliban-controlled territory, which has grown increasingly brutal, with “drug addicts and innocent children being exploited for heinous purposes, including suicide bombings.”
Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance, the information minister vowed that “every necessary measure” would be taken to protect Pakistani citizens, weaken terrorist capabilities, and deny sanctuary to those carrying out attacks against Pakistan from across the border.