KABUL, MAR 19: Pakistani airstrikes in Afghan territory have provoked reactions from some countries as well as some prominent Afghan political figures.
Vedant Patel, deputy spokesperson for the US State Dept, said regarding these attacks that Afghanistan and Pakistan should resolve any disputes through dialogue.
“We urge both sides to address any differences. We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who wish to harm the United States and its allies,” he said at a press briefing.
“We urge Pakistan to exercise restraint and ensure civilians are not harmed in their counterterrorism efforts,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson.
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, and some other figures also condemned the Pakistani airstrikes on Khost and Paktika provinces.
“Former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has vehemently condemned the airstrikes by Pakistani military forces on areas in the provinces of Paktika and Khost, considering it a blatant violation of our country’s territorial integrity and international norms,” a statement from the office of Hamid Karzai reads.
“Pakistani military airstrikes on Afghan soil, under any pretext, are flagrant violations of international law and Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Killing Afghan women and children is unacceptable and cannot justify any security threats,” said Nasir Ahmad Faiq wrote on social media.
“TTP has been present in Pakistan for at least fifteen years, they are operating there, they have their plans, they took many areas and the Pakistani army took them back, so it does not belong to the resumption of the Islamic Emirate,” Sayed Bilal Fatimi, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.
“It is not appropriate for both countries to invade each other’s territory, because this issue creates problems between both countries,” said Mohammad Uddin Mohammadi, another political analyst.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate also said in a statement that the Chargé d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy was summoned in Kabul regarding recent airstrikes in Khost and Paktika provinces.
This comes as Pakistani fighters bombarded parts of Paktika and Khost provinces early Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of eight people, including children and women.
