Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States and former Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Sardar Masood Khan on Sunday said that Pakistan’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign along the Afghanistan border is a direct response to persistent terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan territory and not an act of hostility against the people of Afghanistan.

Speaking during an international television interview on regional security and Pakistan’s role in ongoing global conflicts, Sardar Masood Khan stated that Pakistan had exhausted diplomatic, political and intelligence channels before resorting to military action under “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq”

He emphasised that Pakistan’s operations are “precise and proportional” and are aimed specifically at terrorist hideouts and training camps affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist organisations operating from Afghan soil.

Sardar Masood Khan noted that despite repeated assurances by the Afghan Taliban leadership that Afghan territory would not be used against neighbouring states, terrorist attacks against Pakistan intensified over the past several years. He added that groups including TTP, Al-Qaeda and Daesh had continued to exploit Afghan territory to organise and launch attacks targeting Pakistani civilians and security personnel.

He reiterated that Pakistan seeks peace, stability and cooperative relations with Afghanistan, but added that national security and protection of Pakistani citizens remain paramount.