Pakistan on Monday rejected claims of civilian casualties from its counter-terrorism operations, calling them baseless. Pakistan rejects Afghan casualty claims in a Foreign Office statement that reaffirmed the country’s right to defend itself against terrorism planned on Afghan soil.
The statement, issued as press release No. 308/2026 and posted on X, rejected what it called baseless and unsubstantiated allegations regarding civilian casualties attributed to Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations. It said disinformation and misleading narratives would not hide the threat from terrorist networks operating from Afghanistan.
Pakistan rejects Afghan casualty claims: the Foreign Office case
The Foreign Office said the Afghan Taliban regime must stop Afghan territory being used to plan and launch attacks against Pakistan. It added that such attacks had caused more than 3,500 casualties in 2026 alone, according to the Foreign Office figure.
The statement called on the international community to hold the Taliban regime accountable for failing to uphold its obligations under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and related commitments. Those commitments require Afghan soil not to be used as a launchpad for terrorism.
The Foreign Office said thousands of Pakistanis had been martyred in terrorist attacks planned, financed, supported and carried out from Afghan soil, with the alleged involvement and facilitation of the Afghan Taliban regime. It added: “No responsible state can remain passive when its civilians and security forces are repeatedly targeted.”
Pakistan’s response, the statement said, was taken in exercise of the right to self-defence, in line with the principles of necessity and as a measure of last resort. It said the actions were directed only and exclusively against terrorists and their logistical support bases in Afghanistan.
The statement also said Pakistan’s response had been proportionate to the threat and had strictly followed the principles of distinction and precaution. It said the scale and scope of the action showed restraint, given the severity and frequency of terrorist attacks faced by the country. “Pakistan rejects any insinuations otherwise,” it added.
Groups named in the statement
Citing reports by relevant UN mechanisms, including the Monitoring Team, the Foreign Office said the Taliban regime continued to shelter a large number of terrorist organisations with impunity. It named the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Fitna al-Khawarij, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Fitna al-Hindustan, along with their affiliates.
The statement said those groups continued to pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and stability. Kabul denies that it harbours militants who attack Pakistan, and calls the militancy Pakistan’s domestic problem. Islamabad rejects that view.
The recent history behind the exchange
The statement lands after months of border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan that began in October 2025. Last month, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had carried out precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan.
Tarar described those strikes as a response to a deliberate and unlawful incursion, after drones launched from Afghan territory entered Pakistani airspace. Around the end of February, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations along the border, prompting swift military retaliation.
The two sides agreed to a week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eidul Fitr on March 18, after requests from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. In April, Pakistan put forward three core demands during peace talks in Urumqi, China: Kabul should formally declare the TTP a terrorist organisation, dismantle its infrastructure, and provide verifiable proof of that action.
Why this statement matters now
Monday’s statement is the second major Foreign Office statement of the day. Feature Pakistan reported earlier on Monday that Pakistan condemned Houthi missile attacks near Makkah and Madinah.
The statement also comes on a day when counter-terrorism operations continued inside Pakistan. Feature Pakistan reported on Monday that security forces killed six militants in an operation in Dera Ismail Khan, in which two soldiers were also martyred. That operation underlines the domestic pressure behind Islamabad’s message to Kabul.
Neither side has published an independent casualty account that settles the dispute.
What did Pakistan reject on Monday?
Claims of civilian casualties attributed to its counter-terrorism operations, which the Foreign Office called baseless and unsubstantiated.
What figure did the Foreign Office cite for 2026?
It said attacks from Afghan soil had caused more than 3,500 casualties in 2026 alone.
Which groups did the statement name?
The TTP, Fitna al-Khawarij, the Balochistan Liberation Army and Fitna al-Hindustan, along with their affiliates.
