Pakistan rejects Taliban claim of capturing military post, calls it 'false propaganda'

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Pakistan) on Saturday dismissed claims by the Afghan Taliban regarding the capture of a Pakistani military post, terming the allegation “fabricated propaganda” aimed at misleading public opinion inside Afghanistan.

In a statement posted on its fact-checking account on X, the ministry shared a screenshot of a post by the Afghan Ministry of Defence claiming that Taliban forces had captured a Pakistani military outpost and that 14 soldiers had been martyred.

Rejecting the assertion, the ministry said the claim was “false as always, fabricated and designed to mislead Afghan internal public opinion,” adding that the narrative sought to divert attention from the losses suffered by militant groups during Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism operations.

The statement added that damages and losses incurred by the “master proxy Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij” were being regularly updated by the ministry with supporting evidence.

The term “Fitna al Khawarij” is used by the Pakistani state for militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The ministry said that video and photographic evidence of operations was being shared with the media where applicable, stressing that authorities were ensuring the timely dissemination of credible information regarding targeted operations against militant hideouts and support infrastructure in Afghan territory.

It further alleged that the Taliban claims were largely amplified by militant networks and Indian media or social media platforms, adding that no credible or verifiable evidence had emerged to support the repeated claims.

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also rejected the Taliban’s assertion, calling it “another false claim” without any factual basis.

“All damages and losses being incurred by the Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij are being regularly updated by the Ministry of Information with irrefutable pictorial and video evidence,” he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that propaganda could not shield terrorist networks, asserting that Pakistan’s operations against militants would continue.

“Taliban propaganda collapses when confronted with facts. Pakistan’s operations against Fitna al Khawarij remain focused, relentless and decisive. Terror sanctuaries will not survive,” she said.

Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media Mosharraf Zaidi also criticised the Taliban, saying they appeared to be “spending more time weaving fantasies than eliminating terrorist organisations enjoying sanctuary in Afghanistan”.

He added that Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations would continue until militant groups operating from Afghan territory were dismantled.

Security tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified in recent weeks following the launch of Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, initiated after what Pakistani authorities described as unprovoked firing by Taliban forces across the border.

Officials said the operation also involved overnight air strikes targeting militant positions and support facilities in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle militant sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a demand Islamabad says remains unaddressed since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.