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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday dismissed allegations by the Afghan Taliban that its forces targeted civilians in Afghanistan&rsquo;s Kunar province, linking the claim to cross-border fire that killed civilians in northwestern Pakistan. The ministry&rsquo;s Fact Checker account said the claim by the Taliban&#39;s Hamdullah Fitrat followed an incident in Bajaur in which nine women and children were killed, prompting local condemnation. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 998px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2051311343819772226&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=aacf9820f3d834bc3c8b3361a678ef714ca4d4a7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div> It cited evidence released by the Bajaur District Administration, describing it as showing reckless actions by the Afghan side after repeated failed infiltration attempts by militants. It said Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces repelled those attempts on the ground. The post disputed images circulated with the Afghan claim, saying the damage shown is inconsistent with artillery strikes. It pointed to intact roofs and limited structural breakage as evidence of manual or staged damage. It said the timing of the allegation came after Pakistan released &ldquo;irrefutable evidence&rdquo; and after public criticism intensified against the Afghan side.

This photograph taken on April 13, 2026 shows closed shops in the Barikot village of Naray district, Kunar province. (AFP)

Security

Links claim to cross-border firing from Afghan territory into the Bajaur district that killed civilians.

 Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban claims of targeting civilians and infrastructure in Kunar

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has formally fact-checked Afghan media claims of a military strike on a university in Kunar province, stating that the reports are fabricated and part of a coordinated campaign to conceal the Afghan Taliban&#39;s support for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-rejects-afghan-taliban-claim-says-kabul-strikes-hit-terrorists-information-minister" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">terrorists targeting Pakistan</a>. In a post on X, the ministry called TOLOnews&#39; (an Afghan news network) reporting &quot;a blatant lie.&quot; It stated that no strike had been carried out on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan University in Asadabad, Kunar province. Pakistan&#39;s targeting, the ministry said, is &quot;precise and intelligence-based.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 900px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2048739175932023087&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c7e4c0364b0a20f516235d749df3704386ec72e4&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> TOLOnews had claimed that Pakistani forces conducted missile and jet attacks on Monday targeting the university and surrounding residential areas, citing provincial information chief Najibullah Hanif. The Afghan Taliban official put casualties at three dead and 45 wounded. According to the information ministry, the Afghan media reports follow &quot;the old playbook where Afghan media creates fake news to cover up support to terrorist groups and proxies like Fitna al-Khwarij.&quot; The ministry added that Indian media amplified the claims. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban regime returned to power in 2021. Islamabad&#39;s central demand has been verifiable action against <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-security-forces-kill-15-terrorists-in-balochistan-operation-military" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fitna al-Khwarij</a> (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan). TTP has been carrying out cross-border attacks into Pakistan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/ttptaliban-nexus-exposed-as-attacks-and-retaliation-mirror-each-other" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">from Afghan soil</a>. The cross-border hostility has been one-directional. A mortar shell fired from Afghan territory struck a residential area in the South Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa early Sunday morning. It injured three civilians, district police confirmed. The shell landed in a house near the border, wounding two women and a male resident. Police said the women sustained minor injuries while the man was reported to be in serious condition. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated that the TTP&#39;s presence in Afghan territory is a &quot;red line&quot; and that peace talks cannot proceed alongside continued militant operations. Pakistan launched Operation <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/operation-ghazab-lilhaq-pakistans-crossborder-offensive-kills-663-afghan-taliban" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ghazab lil-Haq</a> in February, targeting terrorist camps inside Afghanistan. Islamabad continues to pursue diplomatic engagement through the Pakistan-China-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers&#39; Dialogue, per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a formal fact-check, stating that Afghan media claims of military strikes on Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Kunar province as fabricated (Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University, Kunar/Faceboo

Pakistan's information ministry rejects Afghan media reports of strikes on a Kunar university as fabricated; says the claims are designed to conceal Afghan Taliban support for cross-border terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

Pakistan fact-checks Afghan strike claims, points to TTP cover-up

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) rejected claims made by former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, that a senior commander of ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) was killed in the Punjab region of Pakistan. The controversy began when Khalilzad shared a post on X (Twitter) from Al-Mirsad English. The post claimed that a commander named Burhan, also known as Zaid, had been gunned down by armed men in Akhtar Abad, Punjab. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> It described Burhan as a key figure in ISIS-K and alleged he had been involved in operations across Afghanistan. Khalilzad, a prominent figure in US foreign policy, retweeted the post. He called the report &ldquo;good news&rdquo; and linked it to broader regional security concerns, suggesting it marked a blow to ISIS-K&rsquo;s operations. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> However, Pakistan&rsquo;s MoIB in a post on X called the claim &ldquo;false and misleading.&rdquo; The ministry said the incident took place in Habibabad, not Akhtar Abad, as claimed. Habibabad is located in the Kasur district of Punjab. The killing occurred on March 5, 2025. <div class="fr-embed"><div></div></div> The MoIB clarified that the incident was not related to ISIS-K. It wrote that it was likely a result of a robbery or a personal dispute. Official records show Burhan had been living with his father-in-law in Habibabad and had no known ties to ISIS-K or any militant group. A police report, filed on March 6, 2025, confirmed the incident was a local crime. The Saddar Patoki police station registered a First Information Report, and investigations are ongoing. Authorities have found no evidence linking the killing to terrorism. &ldquo;There is no credible evidence to suggest Burhan was involved in ISIS-K,&rdquo; the MoIB statement said. &ldquo;This was a criminal act, not terrorism.&rdquo; The ministry also rejected the broader narrative. It dismissed suggestions that ISIS-K had a presence in Punjab. &ldquo;The claim that ISIS-K is active in Punjab is false,&rdquo; the statement said. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s security agencies have found no evidence of ISIS-K elements operating in the province.&rdquo; Khalilzad&rsquo;s post had raised concerns among some observers. They feared it could signal a shift in the security situation. The MoIB asked both local and international media to verify such claims through reliable sources before reporting. The ministry also&nbsp;cautioned against sharing unverified or sensationalized information.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refutes the post by former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad; clarifies that the incident was not related to ISIS-K and was likely the result of a robbery or a personal dispute.

Articles tagged with "Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB)"

Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban claims of targeting civilians and infrastructure in Kunar

Pakistan fact-checks Afghan strike claims, points to TTP cover-up

Pakistan denies report of ISIS-K commander killed in southern Punjab