Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has accused Pakistan of carrying out deadly airstrikes in Khost and Nangarhar. It claims that drones killed three children and wounded several others. Kabul strongly condemned the “violation of airspace” and handed a protest note to Pakistan’s ambassador.
But instead of pointing fingers, Afghanistan must first face its own failures. For years, Afghan soil has been a safe haven for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has launched deadly attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces.
This is no secret; it is a reality exposed by Pakistan’s intelligence and even by negotiations with tribal leaders, who confirmed that militants take orders from Afghan-based commanders.
Pakistan has repeatedly asked Kabul to stop these attacks. When Afghanistan failed to act, Pakistan showed its resolve and foiled infiltration attempts, killing dozens of militants in North Waziristan and Balochistan’s Zhob.
Despite such a befitting response, cross-border threat continues. Kabul’s words ring hollow when it shelters extremists who destabilise Pakistan and its own people. Issuing protest notes while providing sanctuary to terrorists only damages Afghanistan’s credibility.
If the Taliban leadership truly cares about peace, it must dismantle militant networks, secure its borders, and stop being a launchpad for violence.
The suffering of civilians, including Afghan children, is tragic and unacceptable. But so is the daily threat Pakistan faces from militants who live in Afghanistan with ease and keep crossing over the border. Peace between the two countries can only come through mutual trust and trust cannot grow when one side refuses to act against terrorists. Pakistan has made it clear it will protect its people at all costs.
No nation can allow attacks from across its borders to go unanswered. Kabul must choose between being a responsible government or a safe haven for extremists. Its actions, not its words, will decide Afghanistan’s future and regional stability.
