Defending the Nation: Resilience, Responsibility, and the Protection of Afghan Lives

(Adress on the Security Situation in Kunduz)

Keypoints:

• Protection of Civilians: Operations prioritize civilian lives and urban safety.
• Unified Command: Centralized leadership ensures rapid reinforcement and control.
• Force Resilience: National forces adapt effectively to evolving enemy tactics.
• Institutional Coordination: Security institutions act in synchronized execution.
• Countering Fear: Strategic communication neutralizes panic and propaganda.
• Constitutional Legitimacy: Actions are grounded in constitutional authority and sovereignty.
• Rejection of Illegitimate Violence: Deception-driven conflict is not legitimized.
• National Resolve: Unity, patience, and faith guide the state toward stability.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Sisters and brothers,

The purpose of our gathering today is to provide a precise report on the situation in Kunduz. Yesterday, an attack was launched on the city, and a portion of our government facilities was occupied. However, our security forces are currently advancing, and several government buildings have already been retaken. Fresh reinforcements have reached both Kunduz and Baghlan; a full battalion of the National Army is arriving, and our Commandos and Special Forces are already on the scene. The Commander of the 209th Corps has taken direct charge of operations, and a unified command is now firmly in place.

Where does the fundamental problem lie? The problem is that a treacherous enemy is using civilians as human shields. The Government of Afghanistan is a responsible state. As a responsible institution, we cannot—and will not—conduct aerial bombardments in the heart of our cities against our own citizens. I have given explicit instructions to my ministers and commanders: the protection of Afghan lives is our absolute priority. This focus has limited our speed, but it has saved lives. Nevertheless, the enemy has suffered heavy casualties through targeted strikes and ground engagements. I have full confidence in my security leadership—the Ministers of Defense and Interior, the Director of National Security, and our commanders on the front lines.

I wish to emphasize the following strategic points:

First, the Resilience of Our Forces: Since the beginning of this year, our security and defense forces have managed a conflict that has involved at least seven distinct phases of shifting enemy tactics and bloodshed. They have acted with immense prudence and success. The enemy’s ultimate goal was the collapse of the state and the stripping of our nation's dignity—they have failed in that objective.

Second, Institutional Coordination: Coordination between our three security branches is functioning at its highest level. Facilitated by the National Security Council, our response is being executed with speed and precision.

Third, Confronting the Narrative of Fear: While Kunduz presents a challenge, it is a geographically limited one. The enemy’s primary weapon is the creation of a "climate of terror." As the proverb goes, "One who has been bitten by a snake is afraid of a piece of rope." They want to trigger panic based on past shadows. I want to assure my fellow citizens: Kunduz is under management. We must not allow the enemy to achieve their goal of spreading psychological horror.

Final Point: At the start of this year, when this immense burden fell upon my shoulders, our strategic analysis was clear: this would be the most difficult year of testing for our forces. Unfortunately, that prediction proved correct. Fortunately, however, our forces have met that test with total national, Islamic, and patriotic vigor.

This war has been imposed upon us. It has been imposed in the name of a leader who has been dead for two years. A "Great Lie" was forced upon the people. But the Afghan nation knows that it will never trade its survival for anything. In the Holy Qur’an, it is written: "With every hardship comes ease."

We move toward the future with a firm reliance on the Constitution, particularly the rights and duties enshrined in its Second Chapter. We will continue our lives with confidence, trusting in the honor, independence, and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.