Pakistan slams 'one-sided' remarks by British diplomat on Pak-Afghan border situation

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday said slammed a social media post by British Special Representative for Afghanistan Richard Lindsay regarding developments along the Pak-Afghan border, saying that the remarks were “devoid of a deeper understanding of the situation”.

Early on Friday, Lindsay had shared a post by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on the social media platform X, which said it had documented “tens of civilians killed or injured” in strikes in eastern Afghanistan, including a university.

“Concerned by further violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, including strikes in Kunar. All steps must be taken to protect civilians and avoid further escalation. I continue to urge dialogue and restraint, including in meetings in Afghanistan this week,” Lindsay said.

It is worth mentioning that earlier this week, the information ministry had rubbished reports by the Afghan media alleging Pakistan carried out attacks targeting a university and residential areas in the neighbouring country’s Kunar province.

On Saturday, FO Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi issued a response to media queries regarding Lindsay’s post.

“We have seen the social media post by the British special representative for Afghanistan regarding developments along the Pak-Afghan border. The one-sided remarks are devoid of a deeper understanding of the situation along the border,” the spokesperson said.

“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,” Andrabi said.

Pakistan had lau­nched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban and terrorists operating from its soil on the night of Feb 26, following unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban. After a temporary pause on March 18 at the request of “brotherly Islamic countries,” Pakistan had announced the operation’s resumption on March 26, saying it would continue “until its objectives are achieved”.

Andrabi said since the announcement of the temporary pause, “indiscriminate and unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, and terrorist activities by Afghan Taliban-supported Indian proxies inside Pakistan, resulted in the martyrdom of 52 civilians and 84 injuries”.

“Pakistan, while exercising restraint, has responded effectively by precisely targeting Afghan Taliban posts and terrorist support infrastructure, while also thwarting multiple infiltration attempts from the Afghan side,” the FO spokesperson said.

He noted that the “Afghan claims of civilian casualties due to Pakistan’s responses lack evidential credibility”.

“Such unwarranted remarks, without linking them to the root cause of terrorism, do not offer a balanced and objective perspective,” the FO spokesperson said.

“We urge a better understanding of regional dynamics, Pakistan’s principled stance, as well as the unparalleled sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism,” the spokesperson concluded.

Minister says spate of Taliban attacks targeting civilians ‘unacceptable’

On Friday night, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the spate of Afghan Taliban attacks deliberately targeting civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s border districts was “unacceptable, insidious and reflective of their barbaric nature towards human life”.

“Resorting to targeting civilian areas after being comprehensively beaten on the ground by the proud security forces of Pakistan and having no courage to face them is not only despicable but also speaks volumes of the low moral character of the regime leaders,” he said.

He also pointed to figures released by the Bajaur deputy commissioner regarding civilian casualties. He also said that three civilians playing cricket were also injured due to the “blatant and shameless quadcopter targeting by Fitna al Khawarij” on Friday.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term designated by the state for the banned Teh­reek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“Conversely, the Afghan Taliban regime’s so-called representatives continue to lay frivolous false allegations of deliberate targeting of civilians by Pakistan,” Tarar said.

The minister said that it had been reported “with a lot of clarity and evidence that Pakistan targets only terrorist infrastructure” and information had always been promptly and transparently shared with the public.

“Pakistan’s fight against kharji terrorists, their sponsors and abettors remained based on truth, principles, honour, resolve and faith, viz the kharjis and their Indian-backed abettors whose unholy fight and death both are resigned in shame, duplicity, greed and evil,” he said.