ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said over 100 terrorists including their senior commanders were taken out in recent air strikes carried out by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in three provinces of Afghanistan, denying civilian casualties in these strikes.
Sharing the federal government’s official stance in the Senate on the maiden day of its 359th session, the minister said on Monday that the strikes were carried out on February 21 after the Afghan side failed to act on information shared by Pakistan suggesting the presence of terrorist outfits involved in terrorism in Pakistan.
“Evidence of terrorism was shared with Afghanistan. No serious effort was made by Afghanistan to address this issue. Terrorists infiltration from Afghanistan to Pakistan was pointed out, hideouts of commanders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Fitna Al Khawarij were identified by Pakistan, but no action was taken,” he said.
READ MORE: Pakistan carries out strikes along Afghan border to target ‘seven terrorist camps’
The minister said that on the sidelines of Doha Agreement, Afghanistan demanded 10 billion rupees from Pakistan to “shift militant hideouts elsewhere.”
“We were willing to pay Rs 10 billion but they (Afghanistan) refused to give any guarantee that terrorism infiltration from their side to our side would stop in future,” Chaudhry said.
The perpetrator of suicide attack in an imambargah in Tarlai area of Islamabad was linked to Afghanistan, he added.
Thereafter, the minister said, it was decided to take a decisive action, following which, air strikes were launched in three provinces of Afghanistan.
Over 100 terrorists including senior commanders were eliminated in the precise strikes, he said, denying the reports of killings of civilians including women and children as a result of these strikes.
“Pakistan is first the line of defence against terrorism,” said the minister.
Earlier, the Senate passed the Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill, 2025, jointly moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) legislators; Qurat-ul-Ain Marri, Poonjo Bheel, Zamir Ghumro and Ashraf Jatoi.
The bill seeks to replace the words “handicapped and disabled” with the words “persons with disabilities” in the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance, 1980.
The House also passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment (Amendment) Bill, 2022, moved by Saadia Abbasi from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).
In addition, the National Security Council (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024, both moved by Shahadat Awan from PPP, were also passed by the House.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas demanded that Imran Khan’s eye treatment be ensured with the consent of his physicians and family members.
He urged the government to resolve issues with Imran Khan. “Mend your ways with Khan—and I promise—we will not let your government fall— regardless of the fact that your government is based on form 47— but we would not let it fall at the behest of any dictator,” Abbas said.
Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Rana Sanaullah said a team of doctors examined Khan thrice on different dates, and treated his ailment thoroughly, under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
PPP Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman took on Muttahida Qaumi Movement- Pakistan (MQM-P) leaders for their statements in support of the division of Sindh and Karachi.
“On 21 February, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed an important resolution reaffirming the province’s historic and indivisible character. Let me be clear: The Pakistan Peoples Party is the custodian of Sindh’s unity, and no one will be allowed to undermine it,” she said.
The House was adjourned till today (Tuesday).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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