In a firm rebuttal, the Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has categorically dismissed what he termed a "ridiculous" claim by Afghanistan regarding a recent military operation. Speaking on Wednesday, he asserted that Pakistan's forces targeted an ammunition storage depot, not a drug rehabilitation center as alleged by the Taliban regime.
Afghan Allegations and Pakistan's Response
On Tuesday, Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, posted on social media platform X that an airstrike had struck the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in the Afghan capital overnight, resulting in up to 400 casualties. However, Pakistan has forcefully rejected these claims, labeling them as "entirely baseless" and part of a broader campaign of misinformation aimed at distorting the facts.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that the strikes were "precise, deliberate, and professional," focusing solely on military and terrorist infrastructure linked to attacks inside Pakistan. Meanwhile, an official source informed Reuters today that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has placed the death toll from the alleged incident at 143.
Military Spokesperson's Detailed Refutation
Addressing the issue during an interview on the private television program 'Capital Talk,' Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry provided a detailed refutation of the Afghan claims. He questioned the logic behind the allegations, stating, "They're saying that there was some drug rehabilitation centre there. Someone ask them why have you made a drug rehab centre in the middle of an ammunition storage. Which hospital in the world is there that is made beside an ammo storage where you have kept missiles and ammunition. Why was it made? because it was never there."
He further challenged the credibility of such a structure, asking who could possibly establish a medical facility in such a location. The DG ISPR clarified that the operation, referred to as Ghazab Lil Haq, was not an isolated event but part of Pakistan's ongoing war against terrorism, which he described as a conflict imposed by terrorists and their sponsors.
Link to Terrorism and Regional Dynamics
The military spokesperson drew a direct connection between the incident and broader regional terrorism, asserting, "Every child in Pakistan knows that India is behind this terrorism, using Afghanistan as its base of operations. It is Indian-sponsored, funded terrorism whose base of operations is Afghanistan." He emphasized that Afghanistan has been used as a base for operations in every terrorism-related incident in Pakistan.
To substantiate this claim, he provided details of recent attacks, including one on a blessed Friday in Tarlai where worshippers were martyred, noting that the attacker had come from Afghanistan after receiving training and preparation there. He also cited attacks in Wana and Bannu targeting mosques, police, and civilians, stating that all perpetrators originated from Afghanistan.
Questioning the whereabouts of terrorist leaders, he alleged that they are being sheltered in Afghanistan, reinforcing Pakistan's stance on the need for cross-border counter-terrorism measures. This statement underscores the ongoing tensions and complex dynamics between the two neighboring countries in the context of regional security challenges.
