Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday visited General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where the military leadership gave him a “detailed briefing” on the situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The development comes after Pakistan’s security forces launched an operation, dubbed Ghazab lil-Haq, against the Afghan Taliban after it launched unprovoked attacks along the border between both countries on Thursday.

According to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz said that zero tolerance should be adopted against the nexus between the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khwarij and its malicious actions.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

“The actions of the Afghan Taliban regime and Fitna al Khawarij against Pakistan are unacceptable,” he said.

He added that the country’s armed forces, under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir, were always ready to defend the country.

“Pakistan knows how to defend itself against any aggression,” he asserted.

The premier also praised the professional capabilities of the armed forces for repelling attacks by the Afghan Taliban regime in the border areas and for retaliating vigorously.

“The entire nation stands with the armed forces for protecting the homeland,” he said.