Pakistan justifies its counter-terror strikes inside Afghanistan based on the inherent right to self-defence under international law, citing the Afghan Taliban’s failure to prevent the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated terrorist groups from using Afghan territory as a sanctuary to plan and launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Official authorities of Pakistan have repeatedly pointed out that TTP leadership and fighters utilise hideouts in remote eastern and southeastern Afghan provinces to plan high-profile attacks, including suicide bombings and military checkpoint assaults, against Pakistani security forces and civilians. Countless engagements of Pakistan with Kabul proved futile in resolving the issue of cross-border terrorism. Islamabad now describes this inaction of the Taliban regime as irrefutable evidence of TTA’s support for TTP cross-border operations. Pakistan justifies direct, calibrated military action as a last resort, arguing that the Afghan Taliban regime has failed to neutralise these threats or hand over the terrorist leadership. Amid severe escalations and deadly strikes, Pakistani defence officials have stated that “enough is enough”. Pakistan views these targeted operations as necessary to deter threats at their source and protect Pakistani citizens and infrastructure.
Pakistan’s legal and security establishment frequently invokes the right to self-defence provided by Article 51 of the UN charter, arguing that when a host state (Afghanistan) is unable or unwilling to stop non-state actors from launching armed attacks from its soil, the targeted state has the legal justification to act to eliminate the imminent threat.
Pakistan’s legal and security establishment frequently invokes the right to self-defence provided by Article 51 of the UN charter, arguing that when a host state (Afghanistan) is unable or unwilling to stop non-state actors from launching armed attacks from its soil, the targeted state has the legal justification to act to eliminate the imminent threat. The Afghan Taliban are using a highly coordinated propaganda ecosystem to systematically demonise Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations, seeking to control the narrative both domestically and internationally. In order to distort the true reason behind Pakistani airstrikes, the Taliban-led government immediately publicises fabricated figures highlighting civilian casualties, particularly focusing on the deaths of women and children. Taliban systematically reject Pakistan’s claims of targeting terrorist infrastructure, framing the operations instead as unprovoked, random bombardments of civilian markets and residences. The Taliban’s defence ministry and state media mouthpieces frequently claim to launch their own cross-border strikes against Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP/Daesh) hideouts inside Pakistan. By claiming that Pakistan harbours ISKP terrorists, the Afghan Taliban attempts to reverse the international consensus that Afghanistan is the primary sanctuary for regional terror networks like the TTP and Al-Qaeda.The international community increasingly recognises Pakistan’s legitimate right to defend its citizens and territory against cross-border terrorism. This recognition is anchored in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which guarantees the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence when a member state faces external armed threats. Global stakeholders and key allies, such as the United Kingdom, through statements by British Parliamentary Under-Secretary Hamish Falconer, have explicitly affirmed that any nation facing severe, persistent cross-border aggression is legally entitled to take measured, target-specific actions to secure its borders. This consensus stems from the universal principle that no state is expected to remain passive while its sovereignty is routinely compromised by external hostile elements. Furthermore, international recognition is bolstered by authoritative findings from the UN Security Council Sanctions Monitoring Team. Its reports explicitly confirm that the Taliban regime provides a “permissive environment” and preferential treatment to the TTP, a designated terrorist organisation. UN legal experts and UN Secretary-General AntónioGuterres have formally reminded Kabul of its strict obligation under customary international law to prevent its soil from being utilised for attacks against neighbouring states. By validating Pakistan’s grievances regarding the Afghan state’s inaction and TTP sanctuaries, global bodies effectively legitimise Islamabad’s recourse to targeted military measures. These actions are viewed as a necessary defence mechanism of last resort against an unyielding, asymmetric threat.
The writer is a freelance columnist.