ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday dismissed as “a blatant lie” Afghan media reports and official statements alleging that Pakistani airstrikes targeted a university in eastern Afghanistan earlier this week, escalating tensions between the two neighbors already strained by cross-border violence and refugee disputes.
The ministry’s statement, released late Thursday, directly contradicted claims by Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government that Pakistani warplanes struck the Khogyani University in Nangarhar province on Tuesday, killing at least five civilians and wounding several others. The Taliban’s acting defense minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, called the strikes a “violation of Afghan sovereignty” and warned of unspecified consequences if such attacks continued.
Pakistan’s denial came hours after the Taliban’s foreign ministry summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul to protest the alleged strike. A Taliban spokesperson told local media that the university’s main building sustained structural damage, though no independent verification of the site or casualties has been confirmed. Satellite imagery reviewed by international monitoring groups has not yet provided conclusive evidence of the strike’s location or impact.
Diplomatic Standoff Deepens
The dispute over the university strike is the latest flashpoint in a deteriorating relationship between Islamabad and Kabul, which has seen both sides accuse the other of harboring militants along their porous 2,600-kilometer border. Pakistan has repeatedly blamed Afghanistan for failing to curb Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who Islamabad claims operate from Afghan soil. The TTP, a separate group from the Afghan Taliban, has carried out multiple attacks inside Pakistan this year, including a suicide bombing in March that killed five Chinese engineers working on a dam project.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government, in turn, has accused Pakistan of conducting unilateral military operations inside Afghan territory, including airstrikes in April that Kabul said killed at least 20 civilians in Khost province. Pakistan has not publicly acknowledged those strikes but has previously stated that it reserves the right to conduct “precision operations” against militant targets inside Afghanistan.
Friday’s denial from Islamabad did not address whether Pakistani forces conducted any military operations near the Afghan border this week. Instead, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting statement described the Afghan allegations as “fabricated” and part of a “malicious propaganda campaign” to undermine Pakistan’s regional standing. The statement did not provide evidence to counter the Afghan claims but emphasized that Pakistan “respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.”
Regional Powers Watch Closely
The latest dispute comes as regional powers, including China and Iran, have sought to mediate between the two governments amid concerns that escalating hostilities could destabilize the broader region. China, which has invested heavily in Pakistan’s infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative, has privately urged both sides to exercise restraint, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions. Beijing’s concerns center on the security of its workers in Pakistan, who have been targeted in multiple attacks this year.
Iran, which shares a border with both countries, has also called for de-escalation, hosting a rare trilateral meeting in Tehran last month that included representatives from Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government. The meeting, which focused on border security and counterterrorism cooperation, ended without a joint statement, underscoring the deep divisions between the parties.
In Washington, the State Department has not publicly commented on the latest allegations but has previously expressed concern over cross-border violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan. A U.S. Official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Friday that the Biden administration was monitoring the situation closely but had no independent confirmation of the strike on the university.
Media and Verification Challenges
The lack of independent access to the alleged strike site in Nangarhar province has complicated efforts to verify either side’s claims. Afghan media outlets, including state-run broadcaster RTA, have aired footage purportedly showing damage to the university’s buildings, but the authenticity of the images has not been confirmed by third-party sources. Journalists attempting to reach the site have reported being turned away by Taliban security forces, citing “ongoing investigations.”
Pakistan’s military, which oversees the country’s border operations, has not issued a statement on the allegations. In the past, the military has denied conducting airstrikes inside Afghanistan but has acknowledged carrying out “intelligence-based operations” against militant targets near the border. A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told World Today News that Islamabad had “no reason to target civilian infrastructure” and suggested that the Afghan claims were an attempt to “distract from internal failures.”
The Taliban government, which remains internationally unrecognized, has increasingly relied on state media and social media channels to disseminate its narrative on cross-border incidents. In recent months, Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of violating a 2020 agreement that called for both sides to avoid military actions near the border. Pakistan has not publicly responded to those accusations.
As of Friday evening, neither side had announced plans for direct talks to address the latest allegations. The Afghan Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is scheduled to visit Islamabad next week for discussions on trade and refugee issues, though it remains unclear whether the university strike will be on the agenda.
