From strategic restraint to strategic message

2026-03-06 - 22:43

Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Red) TRADITIONALLY, Pakistan has always supported Afghanistan through thick and thin, but unfortunately Afghanistan has never reciprocated with the same fervour by neglecting the basic and genuine requirements of being a good neighbour. Instead, Kabul continued to support and export terrorism to Pakistan, particularly by providing sanctuaries to Fitna al-Khawarij and supporting India and other countries’ interest in destabilising Pakistan, by taking advantage of Islamabad’s strategic restraint. Despite multiple rounds of talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the involvement of multiple countries in the mediation process, Kabul did not pay heed to Islamabad’s legitimate concerns regarding terrorism. Rather, the Afghan leadership turned a blind eye to the launchpads of terrorism in their country, which repeatedly bled Pakistan by deliberately targeting our defence forces, civilians and infrastructure to create economic instability. WeDespite enduring multiple terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan, Pakistan demonstrated brotherliness towards its neighbour by extending support during troubling times, particularly illustrated by hosting over 4 million Afghan refugees. For four decades, primarily from 1980-1989 and 2001-2021, Pakistan’s assistance to its western neighbour caused Islamabad to pay steep price. The sheer number of Afghan refugees settled all over Pakistan brought drugs and Kalashnikov culture with them as a blatant disregard for any norms of displaced people as per the Geneva conventions. Without any desire for fraternal reciprocation, exhibited through repeated failures on the negotiating table by overlooking Pakistan’s requests and appeals to rein in terrorists, the Afghan government solely relied on lip service to appease Pakistan’s concerns, despite the latest Doha Agreement. To this effect, in order to project a resounding message of intolerance against the supporters and perpetrators of terrorism, Pakistan’s political and military leadership decided to carry out punitive actions against terror outfits seeking refuge in Afghanistan. In a planned manner to punish the culprits and avoid any collateral damage to the Afghan citizens, the Pakistan defence forces, under the command of FM Asim Munir, executed operation Ghazb lil Haq. Thus far Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Paktitka, Nangarhar, and Khost have been targeted. Well-progressed, the results reveal the success of this targeted operation against Afghanistan. In particular, battalion 1 headquarters in Laghman province, brigade headquarters in Kandahar and Kabul, Nangarhar Brigade and corps headquarters in Paktia and Kandahar, ammunition dumps in Kandahar, border posts such as the ones near Miranshah and Ghulam Khan sector, as well as multiple sanctuaries supporting terror networks, were destroyed in addition to more than 200 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces. This has resulted in fatalities close to 480 and more than 670 injuries, including those of the commanders involved in guiding terror activities against Pakistan. Afghanistan tried to retaliate through the use of helicopters and quadcopters, focusing on 15 to 20 sectors spread over 50 targets. They were effectively repulsed. The Pakistan Army responded along the border through artillery and combat units to overwhelm and completely shatter the Afghan’s resistance. As many as 230 Afghan posts have been fully destroyed and over 30 have been captured by our ground forces after Afghans abandoned them. According to reliable international and domestic media sources, Bagram airbase was also targeted. Pakistan Air Force’s swift response, under the bold leadership of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, has been on full display. The Air Force has engaged effectively with its allocated targets, numbering close to 60, through UAVs and aircraft deploying long-range standoff weapons and conventional bombs. Undertaking non-stop operations to achieve its objectives with precision, guided by its professional leadership, PAF has ensured confinement of destruction to designated targets. Media footages depict the massiveness of the operation as the engaged military targets were heavily fortified, demanding immense firepower due to which a large number of assets had to be engaged to achieve the desired results. At this juncture, it is also important to address the claim made by the Afghans that they are the graveyard of nations. It is nothing but a misnomer as Afghanistan has always fought its wars after receiving support from other countries, making this statement irrelevant in the Pakistan-Afghanistan context. Rather, it is more accurate to state that Afghanistan is becoming a graveyard for its own people, who are probably not in favour of involvement in sinister designs against Pakistan as seen by the oppressed Afghan communities and minorities giving a positive response to Pakistan’s operations. The common Afghani endures severe poverty and malnutrition, exploited by a regime that profits from war under a distorted religious ideology, blind to basic realities and commitments. It is unequivocally stressed that this operation is likely to continue in case Afghanistan persistently neglects Pakistan’s credible security concerns and allows the continuity of the status quo. It is about time Kabul adopted a cooperative posture by taking verifiable action against militant sanctuaries. The endgame message suggests that this time Pakistan is in no mood to make sacrifices for Taliban’s ulterior motives. —The writer is President, Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore. (info@casslhr.com)