Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan
Appears in 2 stories
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan - Directing escalated air campaign including strikes on Kabul amid 'open war' declaration
Pakistan and Afghanistan are now in open conflict after a ceasefire agreed in October 2025 collapsed amid escalating cross-border violence. Pakistan launched air strikes on Afghan soil five days ago in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces—killing at least 17 civilians according to Kabul—and escalated dramatically today with warplanes bombing Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia provinces. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that the country would wage 'open war' against the Taliban government, citing its alleged sheltering of Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) militants responsible for a surge in attacks inside Pakistan, including a February 6 mosque bombing in Islamabad that killed 32.
Updated 6 days ago
Chief of Army Staff & Chief of Defence Forces, Pakistan - In office; leading counterinsurgency efforts
Pakistan has fought five insurgencies in Balochistan since 1948. The fifth, triggered by the 2006 killing of tribal leader Akbar Bugti, has become the deadliest—and on January 31, 2026, the Balochistan Liberation Army launched simultaneous attacks across 14 cities, killing at least 21 people, freeing 30 prisoners, and abducting a deputy commissioner. The operation demonstrated coordination and lethality that caught Islamabad off guard.
Updated Jan 31
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