Info ministry rubbishes Afghan claims of military post being captured

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday rubbished claims by the Afghan Taliban regarding the capture of a military post, saying it was “designed to mislead internal public opinion” in the neighbouring country.

In a post on the social media platform X, the ministry’s fact-checking account posted a photo of a post by the Afghan Ministry of Defence, which claimed that a Pakistani military outpost was captured while 14 soldiers were martyred.

In response, the ministry said, “This latest claim of the so-called Ministry of Defence of the Afghan Taliban Regime regarding capturing some post and made-up damages etc, is false as always, fabricated and designed to mislead Afghan internal public opinion, which are unfortunately first-hand experiencing and suffering under these terror sponsors.”

It said that damages and losses incurred by the “master proxy Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij” were being regularly updated by the ministry.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“Related video and pictorial evidence, where applicable, is also shared with the media, rather than resorting to fake claims and propaganda. Great care is being exercised to provide credible and timely information about the ongoing targeted operations against terrorists and support infrastructure inside the Afghan Taliban regime occupation area,” the ministry said.

“Contrarily, beyond the amplification cycle of terrorists and Indian media/social media networks, there has been no credible and verifiable evidence of such repeated frivolous claims made by the Taliban outlets. These claims have, in fact, always fallen on their face once fact checked,” it added.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, meanwhile, said, “Another false claim by the Afghan Taliban Regime has been exposed.”

In a post on X, he said, “These false claims have no basis or foundation. On the other hand, all the damages and losses being incurred by the Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij are updated by the Ministry of Information with irrefutable pictorial and video evidence regularly.”

IT Minister Shaza Fatima stated that “fake claims cannot shield terror networks”.

“Taliban propaganda collapses when confronted with facts. Pakistan’s operations against Fitna al Khawarij remain focused, relentless and decisive. Terror sanctuaries will not survive,” she said.

The prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, said the Afghan Taliban were “spending more time weaving fantasies than they are getting rid of the TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army and other terrorist organisations enjoying Afghan Taliban regime hospitality”.

“Propaganda won’t cause Pakistan to end its counter terrorism operations. Only the end of terrorism from Afghan soil to Pakistan will,” he said.

There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded.

Late last month, Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border.

A day earlier, the government also said it carried out overnight air strikes against terrorist positions and support locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.