Pakistan Firmly Denies Afghan Claims of Military Strikes on University and Civilian Areas

Pakistan’s government issued a strong denial on Monday regarding allegations from Afghan media that claimed Pakistani forces had conducted strikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, targeting a university and civilian areas.

The accusations, originally reported by TOLONews, alleged that missile or jet strikes on April 27 hit the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University and nearby residential zones, causing casualties. Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting quickly moved to counter these claims, describing them as “a blatant lie” designed to generate sympathy while concealing what Pakistan terms as “support by Afghan Taliban to Fitna Al Khwarij.”

“No strike has been carried out on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University. The claims are frivolous and fake,” the ministry declared in its statement, emphasizing that Pakistani military operations are “precise and intelligence based” in nature.

The Pakistani government further characterized the allegations as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign, suggesting that Afghan media outlets are deliberately spreading false information to divert attention from what Pakistan considers terrorist safe havens within Afghanistan’s borders.

“The pattern is a page of the old play book where Afghan media creates fake news to cover up the support to terrorist groups and proxies like the Fitna al Khwarij and gets amplification from Indian media,” the statement continued, concluding with the assertion that “truth prevails over falsehood.”

In a separate communication, Pakistan’s ministry labeled these reports as “fake propaganda,” arguing that recurring claims about “phantom strikes” demonstrate a reliance on misinformation by Afghan authorities.

“Continuous propaganda around phantom strikes in Kunar by Afghan media and officials backed by the Indian propagandists indicate that the Afghan Taliban regime, having nothing to offer to its citizens in terms of service, welfare and governance, only relies on misinformation and hate,” the statement read.

The dispute highlights the increasingly strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government, with Islamabad repeatedly expressing frustration over what it perceives as Afghanistan’s failure to prevent militant groups from using its territory as a base for operations against Pakistan.

Pakistan made a point of reaffirming its operational approach, stating: “It should, however, be clear that as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, whenever and wherever Pakistan strikes the Afghan-based terror infrastructure, it will be as per previous actions, well declared, fully owned and backed by precise evidence of targeting terror support infrastructure.”

The tension between the neighboring nations has escalated in recent months, with Pakistan conducting several acknowledged operations against militant targets inside Afghanistan. These actions have been in response to attacks on Pakistani soil that Islamabad claims are orchestrated from safe havens across the border.

Regional security experts note that cross-border terrorism has become a significant point of contention between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government since the latter took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. Pakistan has consistently demanded that Afghan authorities take decisive action against militant networks operating from their territory, particularly those affiliated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.

The latest exchange of accusations underscores the complex security dynamics in the region, with Pakistan maintaining that it reserves the right to defend its national security through targeted actions against terrorist threats, while simultaneously emphasizing that such operations would be transparent and evidence-based.

As both nations navigate this delicate situation, international observers continue to express concern about the potential for escalation in an already volatile region.