Pakistan president, army chief review security amid tensions with Afghanistan

President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, met in Islamabad on Tuesday to review Pakistan’s internal and external security environment, including recent developments along the border with Afghanistan.

The meeting took place amid Pakistan's precision airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and the capital, Kabul, targeting what officials described as key Taliban and militant hideouts. Both sides later agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire aimed at preventing further escalation.

According to a statement from the President’s Secretariat, Field Marshal Munir briefed President Zardari on recent developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, describing what he called “aggressive and provocative actions” by the Taliban regime. He outlined Pakistan’s “measured and effective response” to the provocations, emphasizing the army’s readiness to defend national security.

President Zardari expressed full confidence in the professionalism and resolve of Pakistan’s armed forces, commending their vigilance in “repelling cross-border attacks and protecting the nation’s frontiers.”

Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance, the president said the country would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs, urging continued coordination among state institutions to maintain stability amid regional volatility.

The renewed clashes mark one of the most serious flare-ups between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - a militant group responsible for a series of deadly attacks across Pakistan in recent months.

The Taliban government in Kabul has repeatedly denied these allegations, insisting it does not allow Afghan soil to be used against any country.