KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday said Afghanistan’s Taliban forces had “crossed a red line” by launching drone attacks on Pakistani civilian areas, warning of its “grave consequences” for the Afghan government.
The cross-border strikes and clashes, which erupted late last month, have shown no signs of abating despite efforts by China, Turkiye and other countries to broker a ceasefire.
Pakistan said its forces had intercepted the drones launched on Friday, but falling debris injured two children in the city of Quetta and two people elsewhere in the country.
“While the Afghan terrorist regime seeks negotiations with our friendly countries, it crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians while Pakistan remains engaged in efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia,” Zardari said in a statement, adding that Kabul has brought “grave consequences upon itself” by doing so.
The statement came a day after the Afghan Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Kabul, the country’s capital, and other areas in eastern Afghanistan, saying at least six civilians were killed and 15 other were injured.
