ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has, for the first time, publicly confirmed that Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this month. In an interview with Reuters, Asif stated the strikes targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Kabul and other cities, adding that TTP leadership is operating from Afghan territory.
He also disclosed that an understanding was reached in Doha, involving Türkiye and Qatar as guarantors to prevent the TTP from launching cross-border attacks into Pakistan. A follow-up meeting is scheduled in Istanbul on October 25 to finalize the monitoring framework.
Asif noted that tensions had recently escalated into direct military clashes but stressed that both sides now agree on the urgent need to eliminate terrorism for the sake of regional stability. He voiced optimism about improving relations, trade, and transit ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
