Former President Ashraf Ghani on Monday said Pakistan’s latest airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan had pushed the country into “a new phase of crisis,” warning that the attacks underscored deepening insecurity and growing regional instability.
In a statement, Ghani said the killing and wounding of civilians, particularly women and children, highlighted the severity of Afghanistan’s current crisis and the country’s increasing vulnerability.
He described the strikes as more than an isolated security incident, arguing that they reflected a broader political and security deterioration facing Afghanistan.
Ghani said the country had become increasingly isolated from regional and international engagement in recent years, weakening international attention and limiting effective responses to violence against Afghan civilians.
He also questioned why promises of security had not been fulfilled, why Afghanistan remained trapped in recurring crises and why violations of the country’s sovereignty had failed to draw a stronger international response.
“The Afghan people have the right to know,” Ghani said, referring to what he described as the country’s worsening security situation and repeated breaches of its territorial integrity.
He warned that continued instability could have serious consequences for Afghanistan’s political stability, national security and economic future, adding that the growing gap between the population and the country’s rulers had made Afghanistan more vulnerable.
Ghani called for an inclusive national dialogue, saying Afghanistan’s future should be based on national consensus, broad political participation and a shared understanding of the country’s national interests.
He said lasting solutions to the country’s crises would require national agreement, reduced tensions and a reassessment of major national policies, warning that the current trajectory would impose a heavy cost on the Afghan people.
Ghani’s remarks came after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Paktika, Paktia and Kunar provinces, the second cross-border operation by Islamabad inside Afghanistan this month.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had confirmed that at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 others injured in the strikes. Women and children were among the casualties, the mission said, adding that the figures remain preliminary.
Pakistan has acknowledged carrying out the strikes but said they targeted hideouts belonging to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar militants. Taliban have rejected that account, saying the attacks struck residential areas and caused heavy civilian casualties.
