Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi issued a stern warning to Pakistan on Sunday, saying Kabul has “other options” if Islamabad does not seek peace. His remarks came amid intensified border clashes that have resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.

According to Afghan officials, their forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and captured multiple positions in overnight retaliatory operations, while Pakistan claimed the death toll was 23 and stated its forces had taken control of 19 Afghan border posts. The fighting followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kabul earlier in the week, an attack Afghanistan squarely blamed on Pakistan.

Muttaqi stressed that Afghanistan holds no hostility toward the general Pakistani population, whom he described as “peace-loving,” but accused “a few elements” within Pakistan of deliberately creating tensions.

He claimed Afghan forces had already achieved their “military objectives” in the latest skirmish, asserting that Kabul’s retaliation was an immediate measure to protect its borders and national interest. The minister noted that Qatar and Saudi Arabia had urged de-escalation, and as a result, Afghanistan had paused military actions from its side for the time being.

Highlighting national unity in the face of external aggression, Muttaqi asserted that Afghan civilians, government officials, religious authorities, and Ulemas stand together when the country’s sovereignty is threatened.

He labelled the recent tensions as a continuation of Afghanistan’s long history of enduring conflict but stressed that the current leadership seeks peace. However, he cautioned that if Pakistan continued to reject peaceful engagement, Afghanistan was prepared to explore “other options.”

In addressing Pakistan’s accusations about the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Muttaqi denied that the group maintained any presence in Afghanistan. He claimed that any TTP-linked individuals in the country were actually displaced Pakistanis who had fled military operations in tribal areas—operations he said were carried out by the Pakistani military with U.S. support during the era of the previous Afghan government.

He added that these individuals were allowed to stay as refugees and were not involved in militant activities inside Afghanistan.

Muttaqi also pointed to the sheer scale and geography of the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, known as the Durand Line, which stretches over 2,400 kilometers. He remarked that the border had eluded control even by historic powers such as Genghis Khan (“Changez”) and the British (“Angrez”), suggesting that military strength alone cannot ensure stability there.

Challenging Pakistan’s internal security management, Muttaqi argued that if Islamabad genuinely desired peace, it should use its larger army and superior intelligence resources to address threats within its own territory.

He questioned why Pakistan was risking civilian lives “to appease a few” rather than taking systemic measures to control militant groups operating within its borders. He reiterated that many in both countries do not want the conflict to continue and urged Pakistan to focus on resolving its internal issues instead of blaming Afghanistan for its security problems.

Based On ANI Report