ISLAMABAD, Oct 18 – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that Pakistan had carried out successful operations against confirmed hideouts of the Gul Bahadur Group in the border regions of North and South Waziristan.
The minister said the operations targeted terrorist networks that were planning and executing attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan territory.
According to the information minister, during the past forty-eight hours, when a ceasefire was in place, militants operating from inside Afghanistan attempted several attacks within Pakistan. However, the Pakistani security forces effectively thwarted these attempts through prompt and decisive retaliatory actions, eliminating more than one hundred terrorists.
The Ministry of Information stated that militants belonging to the Gul Bahadur Group carried out a bomb attack in North Waziristan that resulted in the martyrdom of a soldier and several civilians. In response, the Pakistan Air Force conducted a precise intelligence-based operation last night, neutralizing sixty to seventy terrorists along with their commanders.
The information minister rejected all claims and propaganda suggesting civilian casualties, terming them false and misleading. He said such disinformation was an attempt to create sympathy for the terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Attaullah Tarar emphasized that Pakistan believes the complex issue requires dialogue and firm action by Afghan authorities to control non-state actors operating within their territory. He added that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its territorial integrity and protect the lives and property of its citizens, and will not allow any terrorist organization to disturb peace.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a high-level Pakistani delegation will meet Afghan Taliban representatives in Doha today. The delegation will be led by Pakistan’s Minister for Defence, while the Afghan side will be represented by Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob and the Intelligence Chief.
According to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Pakistan reiterated that it does not seek escalation but expects the Taliban authorities to fulfill their international obligations and take verifiable action against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Gul Bahadur Group, and Baloch separatist elements operating from Afghan soil.
The spokesperson appreciated Qatar’s mediation efforts and expressed hope that the Doha talks would contribute positively to regional peace and the normalization of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
