LAHORE: Pakistan’s Ambassador to France Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has said Islamabad’s recent military action against militant targets inside Afghanistan was a counterterrorism operation aimed at groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces, stressing that the situation should not be viewed as a war between the two neighbouring countries.
In an extensive interview with French daily Opinion Internationale at the Pakistani embassy in Paris, the envoy outlined Pakistan’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, its position on relations with the Taliban authorities, the situation of Afghan refugees, women’s rights in the region, cooperation with France and the European Union, and Islamabad’s stance on the conflict involving Iran.
Turning to the recent tensions with Afghanistan, the ambassador rejected the characterisation of Pakistan’s actions as an “attack” on Afghan cities. “I would first like to disagree with the term ‘attack’. What happened was that Pakistani forces conducted an operation targeting certain terrorist groups based in Afghanistan that attack Pakistani civilians, our security forces and foreign nationals in Pakistan,” she said.
According to Ms Baloch, the problem has persisted for several years, particularly since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. “Pakistan has engaged in discussions with the Taliban authorities and we have repeatedly asked them to take action against these groups. They have not done so,” she said, adding that Islamabad had also observed signs that the militants were receiving protection.
“We have even observed that these groups are receiving a form of protection from the Taliban authorities, even as they are killing Pakistanis.” She said the latest escalation followed a cross-border incident in which militants attempted to infiltrate Pakistan with the support of Afghan security forces. “Last week, a group of terrorists attempted to enter Pakistan with the support of Afghan security forces and heavy equipment. They killed our soldiers and destroyed infrastructure along the border,” she said.
Pakistan had carried out similar operations in the past, she added, but had previously refrained from sustained action after receiving assurances from the Taliban authorities. “Each time we received assurances which turned out to be false that the Taliban would act. They did not. We therefore felt it necessary to take effective measures against these terrorist groups,” she said.
Despite the escalation, the ambassador insisted that Pakistan does not consider itself at war with Afghanistan. “I wouldn’t call it a war between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” she said, noting the close historical and social ties between the two nations. “Pakistan and Afghanistan are historically and culturally linked. We have no problem with the Afghan people. We have cultural ties, family ties.”
She emphasised that Pakistan had repeatedly provided refuge to Afghans during times of crisis. “Pakistan has always opened its doors to Afghans when they were in trouble. They have come to live here or sought refuge with us on numerous occasions throughout recent history.”
For this reason, she said, the current military actions should be seen strictly as counterterrorism measures. “This is not a war. This is an operation conducted by our military to target individuals who are protecting terrorists and the terrorists themselves who are killing Pakistani nationals.”
