Kabul, Feb 23 (.) Afghanistan’s acting representative to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, on Monday said a formal complaint has been filed in the Security Council against Pakistan’s Saturday airstrikes on civilian areas in Nangarhar and Paktika, which reportedly led to the deaths of 18 people.
In a post on X, he said Afghanistan’s permanent mission had formally raised what he described as a serious violation of Afghanistan’s territorial sovereignty.
Faiq said Afghanistan had called for an immediate investigation into the incident, an end to further violations, accountability for those responsible, respect for states’ territorial integrity, adherence to the UN Charter and full implementation of international law.
While Pakistan claimed that 80 militants were killed, the Afghan Taliban has refuted the claims, stating that 18 members of a single family were killed, with the majority of the casualties being children. It also averred that the strikes caused massive destruction in a whole swathe of a residential area.
The Taliban’s Defence Ministry said that homes and religious places had been targeted by the Pakistan Air Force, and has warned of “appropriate response” against the country’s military personnel.
Both neighbours have their guns pointed at each other, and their fingers on the trigger, as hostility continues to underscore the current Kabul–Islamabad ties. . . .