By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday rejected claims by the Afghan Taliban that its forces had captured a military outpost and killed 14 soldiers, branding the assertions as fabricated propaganda designed to mislead the Afghan public.
The Information Ministry’s fact-checking account on X directly addressed a post from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense that touted the alleged capture. In a detailed rebuttal, Pakistani officials described the claim as part of a longstanding pattern of “false” and “frivolous” statements that lack any credible or verifiable evidence.
“This latest claim of the so-called Ministry of Defence of the Afghan Taliban Regime regarding capturing some post and made-up damages etc, is false as always, fabricated and designed to mislead Afghan internal public opinion, which are unfortunately first-hand experiencing and suffering under these terror sponsors,” the ministry stated. Pakistani authorities routinely refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan as “Fitna al Khawarij.”
The ministry said it has been regularly updating information on damages inflicted on the “master proxy Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij,” often sharing related video and pictorial evidence with the media. “Related video and pictorial evidence, where applicable, is also shared with the media, rather than resorting to fake claims and propaganda,” the statement continued. “Great care is being exercised to provide credible and timely information about the ongoing targeted operations against terrorists and support infrastructure inside the Afghan Taliban regime occupation area.”
By contrast, the ministry argued, the Taliban’s repeated claims have never held up under scrutiny. “Contrarily, beyond the amplification cycle of terrorists and Indian media/social media networks, there has been no credible and verifiable evidence of such repeated frivolous claims made by the Taliban outlets. These claims have, in fact, always fallen on their face once fact checked,” it added.
Information Minister Attaullah on X post said “another false claim by the Afghan Taliban Regime has been exposed”. “These false claims have no basis or foundation. On the other hand, all the damages and losses being incurred by the Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij are updated by the Ministry of Information with irrefutable pictorial and video evidence regularly.”
Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima called the Taliban statements ineffective attempts to protect terror networks. “Taliban propaganda collapses when confronted with facts,” she said. “Pakistan’s operations against Fitna al Khawarij remain focused, relentless and decisive. Terror sanctuaries will not survive.”
Mosharraf Zaidi, the prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, offered a sharper critique of the Taliban leadership. The Afghan Taliban, he said, appeared to be “spending more time weaving fantasies than they are getting rid of the TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army and other terrorist organisations enjoying Afghan Taliban regime hospitality.” “Propaganda won’t cause Pakistan to end its counter terrorism operations. Only the end of terrorism from Afghan soil to Pakistan will,” Zaidi said.
The exchange highlights persistent tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. There has been a resurgence in terrorism inside Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistani officials have repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle sanctuaries used by groups such as the TTP, but say those appeals have gone unheeded. Late last month, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq following what it described as unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces across the border. A day earlier, the government also reported carrying out overnight air strikes against terrorist positions and support locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
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