‘Afghan Taliban crossed red line’: President Zardari condemns drone attacks on Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday strongly condemned the rudimentary drone attacks carried out by elements of the Afghan Taliban targeting civilian areas in Pakistan.

The president said the “illegitimate and terrorist regime” in Afghanistan had brought serious consequences upon itself by crossing a red line.

“The illegitimate regime of Afghanistan installed by terror and brute force continues to renege on its commitments not to provide safe sanctuaries to terrorist groups and now has the audacity to provoke a major military power of the Islamic world,” the President Secretariat Media Wing quoted the president as saying in a press release.

President Zardari said that while the Afghan Taliban were seeking negotiations with Pakistan’s friendly countries, they had crossed a red line by attempting to target civilians.

He added that the attacks came at a time when Pakistan was engaged in efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia.

President Zardari strongly condemned the drone attacks targeting Pakistani civilian areas, saying the Afghan Taliban crossed a red line. 🇵🇰 will not tolerate its civilians being targeted. Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against neighbours. 🇵🇰 will defend its people.

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) March 14, 2026

He also expressed his best wishes for the speedy recovery of children and other civilians injured by drone debris in Quetta, Kohat and Rawalpindi.

Zardari reaffirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces and security institutions remained fully committed to the defence of the country and the protection of its citizens.

Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that four civilians, including two children, were injured after debris from intercepted drones fell in different areas.

According to ISPR, the Afghan Taliban launched a few rudimentary drones on March 13, 2026, in an attempt to harass the people of Pakistan.

The military’s media wing stated that the drones were intercepted through soft and hard kills, before reaching their intended targets.

However, falling debris from the intercepted drones caused injuries to civilians. Two children were injured in Quetta, while one civilian each was injured in Kohat and Rawalpindi.

ISP said that these attacks were aimed at inducing fear in the public and reflected the terrorist mindset of the Afghan Taliban.