In a major escalation of cross-border hostilities, the Pakistan Army has reportedly once again violated the ceasefire along the Durand Line, launching heavy shelling in Afghanistan’s Paktia province that killed at least 10 civilians, including three local cricketers, and injured eight others.
Following the attack, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has withdrawn its national team from next month’s Twenty20 tri-series in Pakistan.
The ACB said in a post on social media Saturday that the cricketers were “targeted during a gathering” in Urgun district when they returned home after playing a friendly cricket match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province.
Former Afghan member of Parliament Mariam Solaimankhil, speaking to NDTV from the United States, condemned the assault as “cowardly and barbaric,” holding Pakistan’s powerful military directly responsible for what she described as “systematic terrorism” in the region.
“We are not surprised,” she said. “This is the same pattern of violence the ISI and the Pakistan Army have unleashed for decades from India to Afghanistan. But to see young cricketers, babies, and mothers being killed, it’s heartbreaking.”
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Solaimankhil linked the fresh round of aggression to Afghanistan’s recent outreach to India following foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to New Delhi, accusing Pakistan of reacting out of fear and insecurity.
“Whenever Afghanistan moves closer to India, our brotherly, historic partner, it threatens Pakistan’s military establishment. Their entire economy thrives on war and destruction,” she said. “They cannot tolerate peace between Afghans and Indians.”
Urging closer India-Afghanistan cooperation, the exiled MP called for unity against “the extremist ideology born in Rawalpindi”.
She lauded India’s unwavering support for the Afghan people, stressing that “our shared culture and history must defeat Pakistan’s exported extremism.”
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Sending a sharp message to Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir, Solaimankhil said, “You reap what you sow. For decades, you’ve bred terrorists and used them as weapons. Don’t be surprised when the fire you started burns your own home.”
She further accused Pakistan’s establishment of running “a propaganda machine full of trolls” to justify civilian deaths under the pretext of anti-TTP operations. “They say they’re targeting terror camps, but not a single TTP member has been named or shown. What we have are pictures of Afghan babies murdered in cold blood.”
‘Whenever Afghanistan moves closer to India…’: Ex-MP slams Pakistan Army chief after 3 cricketers killed
