Pakistan rules out talks until Kabul addresses cross-border terrorism

• Atta Tarar says it is ‘too early’ to comment on ceasefire as situation is evolving

• Says over 330 Afghan fighters killed, over 535 injured in Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq

• Says Pakistan destroyed over 130 posts, 26 captured while targeted 37 militant locations inside Afghanistan

• PM’s aide says Islamabad demands end to terrorism before any dialogue with Kabul

• Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid calls for dialogue to resolve crisis

 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday ruled out any talks with Afghanistan until cross-border terrorism “emanating from Afghan soil” is fully eliminated, reporting that 352 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and over 535 injured in response to “unwarranted and unprovoked” attacks along the border.

The latest escalation followed unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces at multiple sectors along Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border on Thursday, prompting Islamabad to launch Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, which the government described as a response to “open war.”

This development came in the aftermath of Pakistan’s airstrikes on terrorist camps and bases across Afghan border areas last weekend. Islamabad has long accused Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to terrorist groups, including outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan militants, a claim repeatedly denied by Kabul.

Providing an update on Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan’s armed forces had killed 331 Afghan fighters, destroyed over 100 posts, and targeted 37 military locations inside Afghanistan.

Operation Ghazb lil Haq
Update 2100 hours 28 February

✅ Summary of Afghanistan Taliban losses

▪️352 Killed,
▪️535 + Injured,
▪️130 Check posts destroyed,
▪️26 Post Captured,
▪️171 Tanks and Armed vehicles Destroyed
▪️41 locations across Afghanistan effectively targeted…

— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) February 28, 2026

Meanwhile, Afghan officials claimed that more than 50 Pakistani soldiers were killed and several posts were captured by their forces.

Asked about Pakistan’s objective, Tarar said: “Neutralizing the threat and ensuring that Pakistan is safe. For us, we have been good neighbors, very generous neighbors. Unfortunately, our generosity has often been seen as weakness. The aim is to neutralize the threat and make Pakistan safe.”

When asked about a ceasefire, he said it was “too early” to comment as the situation is evolving.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, reiterated that no talks with Afghanistan would take place until Kabul addressed the cross-border terrorism issue.

“There won’t be any talks. Terrorism from Afghanistan has to end,” Zaidi told state-run Pakistan TV Digital, adding that Islamabad will continue to target militant havens inside Afghanistan. “Pakistan’s responsibility is to protect its citizens. If we know a terrorist or enabler is at a location, we will neutralize the threat.”

He said the government’s position had been clearly articulated to both the international community and the Afghan Taliban: “We expect the Afghan regime and the world to help reduce instability and disorder in this region.”

The United States also expressed support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks from the Afghan Taliban. A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Washington was aware of the escalation, expressed sorrow over the loss of life, and reaffirmed that “terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad for their heinous attacks.”

Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called for dialogue to resolve the crisis. “We have always emphasized peaceful resolution, and now too we want the issue to be resolved through dialogue,” he said on Friday.