Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially adopted the term "Taliban regime" when referring to the Afghan government, marking a significant policy shift, announced within the reporting window between 7:08 PM and 7:37 PM UTC on October 12th, 2025. This change, detailed in a statement that also mentioned terrorist factions alongside the Afghan Taliban, signals a potential recalibration of Pakistan's approach to Afghanistan, according to reporting from @ZiaHata. The Foreign Office statement, released on October 12th, expressed hope for the Afghan people's "freedom" and for rule by a "true representative government," a sentiment interpreted by observers as potentially signaling support for anti-Taliban factions and a desire for regime change in Afghanistan. This policy shift has drawn attention to Pakistan's potential strategic partnership with groups like the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), as noted by @KabulPostAF. These diplomatic developments coincide with ongoing border tensions and military engagements. Strong explosions were heard in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, during the reporting period. Separately, video evidence shared by @HLC_actual depicts Pakistan Army forces destroying an Afghan Taliban border post, further indicating heightened cross-border activity and a more assertive stance by Pakistani forces. Previous reports from October 12th detailed Pakistani forces thwarting a cross-border raid by Taliban terrorists near Kurram and repelling another Afghan Taliban raid in the same region. These incidents occurred as Pakistan is engaged in Phase II of "Operation Khyber Storm," aimed at eliminating the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) within Afghanistan. The Pakistani military had also reported consolidating control over a strategically important hill approximately 2 km inside Afghanistan's Paktika province earlier on October 12th.
