Abbottabad, Pakistan: Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, issued a stern warning to Afghanistan on Saturday, urging the Taliban government to choose between “peace and chaos.” Speaking at the passing out parade of cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, Munir emphasised the urgent need for Kabul to take decisive action against terrorists operating from Afghan soil and launching attacks inside Pakistan.

This warning comes in the wake of fresh Pakistani airstrikes targeting militant hideouts in Afghanistan late Friday. These strikes were conducted hours after Islamabad and Kabul agreed to extend a two-day ceasefire, temporarily halting hostilities along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Field Marshal Munir made it clear that the Taliban regime must clamp down on militants using Afghanistan as a safe haven for cross-border terrorist activities. All proxies using Afghan soil would be met with a response to “raise them to dust”, Munir warned.

The recent airstrikes followed a deadly gun-and-bomb attack on a Pakistani military installation in North Waziristan, claimed by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). This attack, along with previous assaults originating from Afghan territory, has severely strained relations between the two neighbours.

Diplomatic efforts are underway, with representatives from Pakistan and Afghanistan expected to meet in Doha soon. The Qatari government is reportedly facilitating mediation to ease tensions.

Pakistan has consistently accused the Taliban-led Afghan government of failing to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan soil to launch attacks across the border. Kabul denies these allegations, maintaining that Afghan territory is not being used for cross-border terrorism.

The security situation has worsened in recent months, with repeated terrorist attacks attributed to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghanistan. Notably, a recent attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Orakzai district resulted in the deaths of 11 Pakistani military personnel, including a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major.