Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan, on Saturday issued a grave warning to Afghanistan, demanding “firm and immediate action” against terrorists using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan and telling the regime to “choose between peace and chaos.”
The COAS delivered his stern message while addressing passing out army cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul. His remarks came just hours after Pakistan launched fresh air strikes targeting alleged terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan late Friday, a move that cast a shadow over an extended two-day ceasefire between the two neighbors.
Proxies Will Be Raised to Dust
Field Marshal Munir stressed that the Taliban regime in Kabul must act decisively against militants operating from its territory. He delivered a categorical threat to groups hostile to Pakistan.
“All proxies using Afghan soil would be met with a response to ‘raise them to dust’,” Munir warned.
The renewed Pakistani strikes followed a gun-and-bomb attack claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on a military installation in North Waziristan on Friday.
Tensions Ahead of Doha Talks
The latest military escalation comes as representatives from Islamabad and Kabul prepare for crucial talks in Doha, mediated by the Qatari government, to de-escalate the volatile situation. The two sides had mutually agreed to extend a temporary 48-hour ceasefire until the conclusion of these planned discussions.
Islamabad has consistently accused the Taliban government of providing safe haven to terrorist groups, including the banned TTP, which has intensified cross-border attacks. A recent strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district killed 11 military personnel, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, further escalating tensions.
Kabul, however, continues to deny these allegations, maintaining that Afghan soil is not being used to destabilize any neighboring country. The fresh Pakistani air strikes are expected to complicate the Qatari-led mediation efforts.