Pakistan Denies Kunar Strike Claims Amid Afghan Media Row

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday rejected Afghan media reports claiming that Pakistani strikes had targeted a university and residential neighbourhoods in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, calling the allegations false and misleading. The denial came after claims circulated online that Pakistan had attacked the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University and civilian areas in the eastern Afghan province.

The ministry’s response placed the dispute in the wider context of Pakistan’s security concerns along the Afghan border, where Islamabad has repeatedly accused militant networks of using Afghan territory as a base for cross-border violence. Officials said the latest claims were being amplified to shift attention away from militant sanctuaries and alleged support structures operating inside Afghanistan.

According to the ministry, Pakistan’s actions against terrorist infrastructure are based on intelligence and are not aimed at civilian institutions. It maintained that no strike had been carried out against the university mentioned in Afghan media reports, and described the allegations as an attempt to create public sympathy through what it called fabricated narratives.

In its public reaction, the ministry accused Afghan outlets and online accounts of spreading “fake propaganda” and said the reports followed a familiar pattern of misinformation. It also linked the claims to what Pakistani authorities refer to as Fitna al Khawarij, the state-designated term used for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which Islamabad says continues to benefit from safe havens across the border.

The episode comes at a sensitive moment for Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, which have remained strained over border security, militant movement, and recurring allegations from both sides. Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban administration to act decisively against groups blamed for attacks inside Pakistan, while Kabul has often denied sheltering militants or allowing Afghan territory to be used against its neighbour.

Pakistan says its ongoing security operations are directed at armed networks and their support infrastructure, not civilian populations. The government has argued that precision, verification, and evidence remain central to any action it acknowledges, particularly in a region where unverified social media posts can quickly intensify diplomatic tension.

The controversy also highlights how information warfare has become a major feature of regional security crises. Claims about strikes, casualties, and targets often spread rapidly before official verification, making it harder for audiences to distinguish between confirmed developments and politically driven narratives.

For Pakistan, the impact of such allegations extends beyond diplomacy. False or unverified reports can inflame public opinion, complicate border management, and create pressure on security institutions at a time when the country is dealing with a renewed wave of militancy and heightened regional uncertainty.

Officials are expected to continue countering what they describe as hostile propaganda while maintaining pressure on Kabul over militant sanctuaries. The latest denial signals that Islamabad wants to control the narrative around cross-border operations and avoid any impression that civilian sites are being targeted.