Washington, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy towards Afghanistan and its internal challenges after fresh Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan left civilians dead and injured.
Khalilzad made the remarks after the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that at least three civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed and four others injured in apparent airstrikes in Kunar province in the early hours of Monday.
“When one is in a hole, the smart thing to do is to stop digging. Pakistan needs a change in strategy on dealing with key internal crises and on Afghanistan,” Khalilzad said, adding that he remained doubtful that Pakistan’s current leadership would change course.
“The current approach means more bad news for Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said.
The airstrikes were carried out in Kunar and Paktika provinces. Pakistan’s government said its forces targeted militant camps and hideouts in the border region and claimed that at least 28 militants, including suicide bombers, were killed. Pakistani authorities described the operation as a counter-terrorism response to recent attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Afghan Taliban authorities, however, said civilians were killed in the strikes. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks, alleging that Pakistan’s military leadership was using military action to divert attention from security problems inside the country.
Mujahid said three civilians were killed and four others wounded in Kunar, while a house and a local shop were damaged in Paktika without reported casualties there. He described the strikes as aggression and warned that Afghanistan would give an “appropriate response”.
The Taliban government also summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul and handed over a formal protest against what it described as violations of Afghan territory and attacks on civilian areas.
The latest strikes have further strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan after a period of relative calm. Islamabad has repeatedly accused armed groups based in Afghanistan of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, while the Taliban government denies harbouring militants responsible for Pakistan’s internal security problems.
Khalilzad’s comments come amid the renewed tensions, with both sides facing pressure over cross-border violence and the security situation along their shared frontier.
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