Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari warned on February 22, 2026, between 3:45 PM and 6:45 PM UTC that those responsible for cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan will not remain beyond reach if bloodshed continues inside Pakistan, according to a statement from the President's Secretariat posted by zarrar_11PK on X. Separately, the Taliban Ministry of National Defense posted a threatening Quranic verse on X stating 'Strike them above the necks and strike from them every fingertip.' President Zardari stated Pakistan is fully aware of the locations of planners, facilitators, and patrons of violence based across the border, emphasizing that tolerance for cross-border terrorism has reached its limit. He referenced his February 8 warning to the international community about terrorist groups receiving space and impunity in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, which he described as creating conditions similar to or worse than pre-9/11, as detailed in the official statement. These developments follow Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid's earlier statement between 2:45 PM and 3:15 PM UTC vowing to target the Pakistani military while sparing civilians, amid ongoing tensions after Pakistan's airstrikes on eastern Afghan provinces. The Taliban's post came from the official Ministry of National Defense account, MoDAfghanistan2 on X. President Zardari affirmed Pakistan's recent actions, including airstrikes, stem from its right to defend against terrorism from Afghanistan after repeated unheeded warnings, per the President's Secretariat release shared during the 3-hour reporting window.
