ISLAMABAD, March 20. /TASS/. As Afghanistan pushes for dialogue with Pakistan, it reserves the right to respond to attacks carried out by Islamabad on its territory earlier, said the chief spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid.

"Afghans do not forgive the shed blood nor do they refuse to retaliate. Like we retaliated for their previous crime, we will revenge for our people this time around too," he told TOLO News in an interview. At the same time, he said, Kabul is seeking to resolve the tensions between the two countries through negotiations. "We have never opposed dialogue or a political settlement. We have always tried to solve problems through talks," he noted.

On March 18, Pakistan and Afghanistan decided to pause the hostilities for the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

On the evening of February 26, fighting resumed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Kabul said it was conducting a military operation in response to recent Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared that his country and the Taliban-led Afghan government are now engaged in an open armed conflict.