ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said Pakistan will respond to any violation from the Afghan side during the temporary pause for Eidul Fitr.
Speaking exclusively to Pakistan TV, the information minister said Pakistan took this initiative of announcing a temporary pause in Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq in view of the upcoming Eidul Fitr and also after receiving requests from brotherly countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye.
He said the pause in the operation will remain in effect till the night of March 23/24, and the operation will resume after the Eid festival.
He reaffirmed that the country remains fully alert in defending its sovereignty.
He emphasized that the pause was temporary and did not signal any weakening of Pakistan’s stance against terrorism.
The minister criticised the Afghan Taliban for failing to meet their commitments, stating, “all promises of Taliban have not been converted into reality”.
Rejecting allegations levelled by the Afghan Taliban of civilian harm during the operation, Tarar said: “All our strikes in Afghanistan are on military installations”, and that “Taliban’s claims of targeting civilians are false and baseless”.
He reiterated Pakistan’s position toward Afghan citizens, stating, “we have nothing against Afghan citizens”.
On the issue of false propaganda peddled by the Afghan Taliban, the minister said: “Afghan Taliban have resorted to false propaganda.”
“We are countering their lies with truth and facts,” he said, stressing that “Pakistan will continue to expose Afghan Taliban lies through mainstream media and social media”.
Highlighting the India-Taliban nexus, Tarar said: “Afghan Taliban have embraced the Indian policy of spreading fake news.”
Concluding, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness, stating, “we are fully alert and vigilant in defending our country.”
