Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, China, and the United Nations, and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan, has termed Pakistan’s swift and effective response to the attack from Afghanistan on the Chaman-Spin Boldak border a major diplomatic and strategic success.
In a statement on Wednesday, he stressed that any future attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty would be met with a robust and effective response.
Sardar Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, China, and the United Nations, described the country’s swift response to the recent Chaman-Spin Boldak border attack as a significant diplomatic and strategic achievement. In a statement, he praised the coordinated strategy of Pakistan’s armed forces, intelligence agencies, and political leadership for effectively thwarting the provocation from Afghan soil.
The former diplomat described the Afghan government’s policies as unrealistic, stating that internal turmoil and a hardline stance have turned Afghanistan into an arena for regional proxy conflicts. He pointed out that failure in border management and reluctance to control terrorist elements have further exacerbated issues between the two countries.
Khan described the presence of terrorist groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) under the Taliban’s patronage as clear evidence of Afghan authorities evading their responsibilities. He recalled the Taliban’s 2020 assurance that their territory would not be used against any country, a promise directly contradicted by the current situation.
He noted that while Pakistan made sincere efforts to integrate the Afghan Taliban into the global system, including recent diplomatic talks in Doha and Istanbul, the rising terrorism from Afghanistan has diminished the prospects for cooperation. He mentioned that the behavior of Afghan negotiators in Istanbul undermined the progress previously achieved in Qatar.
According to the former ambassador, Pakistan is undertaking coordinated security measures with China, Tajikistan, and under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) counter-terrorism framework. He also suggested that the United States could still play an effective role in preventing Afghanistan from falling into further isolation and internal turmoil by advising the Taliban on border discipline and counter-terrorism.
Masood Khan affirmed that Pakistan is prepared to resolve issues through various diplomatic channels, including bilateral negotiations or mediation by international partners like Qatar, China, Russia, or the United States. However, he stressed that if its territory is continuously targeted, Islamabad will exercise its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Concluding his statement, Khan reiterated that Pakistan seeks peace and values its historical ties with the Afghan people, but it is fully equipped with defensive capabilities. He emphasized that the responsibility for the current crisis lies with the Afghan leadership until they renounce terrorism and adopt a policy free from external influence.