Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq: Strategic implications

2026-03-04 - 20:23

CURRENTLY, Pakistan military launched a mega strategic offensive operation—Ghazab-lil-Haq, ‘Righteous Fury’ – which targets the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an Indo-Afghan- Taliban militant group known as Fitna Alkhawarij. The operation fundamentally follows escalating cross-border attacks and highlights the deepening tension between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime, which is alleged of harboring terrorists. Pakistan’s recent strikes on jihadi training camps in Afghanistan underscore Pakistan’s pivot to regional security, aiming to dismantle terrorist networks operating along its western border. By strategizing to a “full-scale military offensive,” Pakistan aims to establish a new deterrent threshold. The Afghans must learn lesson from this geopolitical truth that Pakistan will never compromise on its sovereignty. Pakistan strongly believes that the Taliban regime-engineered terrorism against Pakistan cannot build a peaceful neighborhood, which is crucial to stabilizing South Asian and Central Asian connectivity. Pakistan’s Operation Righteous Fury, launched last month in response to unprovoked Taliban border attacks, demonstrated a decisive military stance against terrorism. By targeting militant hideouts and disrupting cross-border infiltration, the operation weakened Taliban operational capabilities. This assertive action bolstered regional security, deterred future aggression and strengthened Pakistan’s credibility as a committed counterterrorism actor. Success in this operation could encourage regional cooperation, enhance stability along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and support broader peace efforts by isolating extremist elements. It also underscores Pakistan’s commitment to self-defence while aligning with international anti-terrorism goals. Following are the prime objectives of Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq. 1- The first and foremost goal is to destroy the infrastructure, ammunition and command centers of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates operating from Afghanistan. By striking these hideouts directly, Pakistan aims to eliminate safe havens used to launch attacks on its soil. 2- Dismantling Terror Sanctuaries: The primary goal is to destroy the infrastructure, ammunition and command centers of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates operating from Afghanistan. By striking these hideouts directly, Pakistan aims to eliminate safe havens used to launch attacks on its soil. 3- Forcing Taliban Accountability: The operation is designed to exert severe military pressure on the Afghan Taliban regime to stop harboring anti-Pakistan militants. Islamabad aims to force a shift in Kabul’s policy from “cooperation” with the TTP to active opposition or to disable their capability to support these groups. 4-Restoring Border Security: By destroying Afghan Taliban checkposts and taking control of key positions along the Durand Line (e.g., in Paktia region), the Pakistan Army seeks to create a more controlled border, reducing illegal infiltration and cross-border firing. 5- Degrading TTP Operational Capability: By killing over 300 combatants and destroying over 100 military posts and vehicles in the first few days, the operation intends to inflict heavy losses on the TTP and its allies, preventing them from carrying out large-scale, coordinated attacks in Pakistan. 6-Regional Stability through Deterrence: The overarching aim is to establish a strong, credible deterrence against further cross-border aggression by showing that Pakistan will respond to threats with “decisive and befitting” force. 7-Stopping Incursions: The operation responds to what Islamabad describes as “unprovoked aggression” and aims to ensure that Afghan soil is no longer used as a Launchpad for incursions. 8-Targeting Military Assets: The destruction of over 160 tanks and armored vehicles belonging to the Taliban regime is intended to cripple their ability to challenge Pakistani border positions. 8-Deterrence and Sovereignty: By escalating to a “full-scale military offensive,” Pakistan aims to establish a new deterrent threshold. By attempting to force the Taliban into a “peaceful neighbor” stance, Pakistan hopes to stabilize trade routes that are essential for Central Asian connectivity. Role of evolving geopolitical trajectory: International actors (US, China, Russia) have called for restraint and Iran and Qatar have offered to mediate, highlighting the volatile nature of the conflict. Today, Pakistan faces a complex, multi-front security environment driven by the adversarial relations with India, the Taliban-led instability in Afghanistan and the growing strategic defense partnership between India and Israel. India presents a conventional military threat, Afghanistan enables cross-border terrorism (TTP) and Israel amplifies Indian defense capabilities. And yet, Indian premier Narendra Modi’s latest visit to Israel has evolved a centrifugal regional landscape –involving Israel’s strategic partnerships with India and Afghanistan–which may affect Pakistan’s security posture. India remains a primary security concern due to its military buildup, support for Afghan insurgent groups and longstanding conflict over Kashmir. Afghanistan poses direct challenges through cross-border militant activities, particularly from groups like the Taliban and Haqqani Network operating near Pakistan’s border, which destabilize regions like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The United States has expressed support for Pakistan’s right to self-defence against Taliban attacks, signaling a potential warming of strategic ties. As for regional mediation, Pakistan has taken a bold stance that it will not accept any mediatory role unless the Taliban regime is posed to dismantle its terrorist networks. By establishing a “full-scale multi-domain military offensive,” Pakistan aims to establish a new deterrent threshold. In conclusion, following clashes and the reported attack of Taliban terrorist network on Pakistani border posts, the Pakistani military launched its full-scale operation known as Ghazab-lil-Haq on February, 2026 against Fitna Al Khawarij in Afghanistan. Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq underscores Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to defending its sovereignty, particularly along its western frontier. The operation involved precise air and ground strikes targeting Taliban military installations, command centers and ammunition depots in Afghan provinces such as Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Nangarhar. A measured response is aimed to safeguard the country’s borders, emphasizing that no compromise will be made on national dignity. This campaign is characterized by Pakistani military leadership’s clear stance on national security and sovereignty. Amid the US-Israel attack on Iran, Pakistan’s military posture signals a shift toward assertive defense, potentially influencing broader dynamics in South and Central Asia. It also demonstrates Pakistan’s balancing act between regional security concerns and avoiding entanglement in any trans-regional geopolitical conflicts. —The writer, based in Pakistan, an independent IR & International Law analyst, also a Peace and Conflict Studies expert, is member of the European Consortium of Political Research, including Washington Foreign Law Society/American Society of International Law. (rizvipeaceresearcher@gmail.com)