Kabul vows measured response to Pakistani strikes over civilians

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has warned Pakistan that attacks on civilians will not go unanswered, stating that protecting the country’s sovereignty and its people is both a religious and national duty and promising a timely, appropriate and measured response.

Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Saturday night in Paktika province, targeting a seminary and in Nangarhar province, striking a residential house.

According to reports, in the village of Gardi Kutz in Behsud district of Nangarhar province, 16 members of a single family were killed and one other person was injured in the attack.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said that, in continuation of what it described as previous acts of aggression, Pakistan’s military regime had once again conducted airstrikes in several civilian areas of Nangarhar and Paktika provinces — including a religious school and a number of residential houses — resulting in dozens of innocent civilians, among them women and children, being killed and injured.

The ministry described the attacks as a clear violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a crime, and strongly condemned them.

The MoD characterised Pakistan’s action as a blatant breach of international law, the principles of good neighbourliness, and Islamic values.

The statement added: “The Ministry of National Defence considers the protection of the country’s sovereignty and the security of its people a religious and national duty and, at the appropriate time, will deliver an appropriate and measured response, God willing.”

It stated that attacks on civilian targets and religious centres are clear evidence of intelligence and security failures within the Pakistani army, and that such repeated acts of aggression will never be able to conceal its internal shortcomings.

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