Dr. Abdullah condemns Pakistan airstrikes on Eastern Afghanistan, calls for dialogue

KABUL: Former Chief Executive of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, has strongly condemned recent Pakistani airstrikes on parts of eastern Afghanistan, calling the attacks a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a post on his X account, Dr. Abdullah emphasized that bombing civilians and property is not a solution and urged dialogue and negotiation as the only path to resolving regional disputes. The attacks targeted areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense, dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured, and residential homes and religious schools were damaged. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described the strikes as deliberate attacks on civilians, causing serious harm to both homes and educational institutions. Pakistan, for its part, stated that the strikes targeted militant camps and hideouts along the border in response to recent suicide attacks, asserting that the operations were aimed at militant threats rather than civilians. The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) reported that at least 16 members of a single family were killed in a strike on a residential home in Nangarhar, ranging in age from one to 80 years old. The organization condemned the attacks as a serious violation of international humanitarian law and called for an independent investigation and immediate support for affected families. The escalating cross-border strikes have drawn widespread condemnation and heightened fears of further civilian casualties in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces, highlighting ongoing tensions along the porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border.