The official says the duration of the operation depends on the Afghan Taliban, whether they side with Pakistan or terrorist groups
A Pakistani soldier at the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. PHOTO: AFP
A senior Pakistani security official said on Monday that “Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq” would continue until the Afghan Taliban government gave a guarantee that it would stop facilitating terrorist groups targeting Pakistan. Radio Pakistan reported.
“‘Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq’ will continue until the Afghan Taliban government provides verifiable assurances to Pakistan that it will stop facilitating Fitna al-Khwarij and Fitna al-Hindustan” the official told reporters.
‘Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq’ was launched late Thursday following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as Afghan Taliban forces fired at several locations, prompting swift military retaliation. Pakistani security forces killed 435 Afghan Taliban fighters and destroyed 188 tanks and vehicles during the operation. More than 630 Afghan operators were wounded, 188 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed, 31 Afghan positions were captured, and 51 locations in Afghanistan were successfully targeted in airstrikes.
The official said the Afghan Taliban “will have to decide whether they stand with Pakistan or with the terrorist groups operating from their soil”.
The duration of the operation will entirely depend on the actions of the Afghan Taliban authorities, he added, stressing that Pakistan was “in no hurry to finish the operation”.
The official accused the Afghan Taliban government of patronizing several terror groups “as a proxy master” and alleged they were sabotaging regional peace.
He said the Taliban promoted a “war economy under the guise of a distorted religious ideology whose real motive is self-interest and economic gain”.
According to the official, Pakistan was targeting terrorist safe havens and facilitators in Afghanistan, describing them as legitimate targets under the right of self-defense.
‼️ senior Pakistani security official की media se conversation ‼️
💠 operation ghazbُ للحق
📌 The Afghan Taliban will have to decide that they are with the terrorist groups active on the soil of Pakistan.
📌 The ongoing operation in Afghanistan will not end until the end of the war… pic.twitter.com/KwLWKuwQna
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) March 2, 2026
He stressed that operations were not indiscriminate and were limited to specific infrastructure used to support militant groups.
So far, the official said more than 180 checkpoints had been destroyed and over 30 key locations taken under control, which he said were being used as launch pads by terrorists.
The official said Pakistan’s actions had received a positive response from “oppressed Afghan communities and minorities”.
He clarified that Pakistan has “nothing to do with any change of government in Afghanistan”, calling it an internal matter for the Afghan people.
On Iran, the official said Pakistan pursued a balanced policy and Tehran had appreciated Islamabad’s position, which he said was also supported by China and Russia.
He said Pakistan had expressed its reservations over Iran’s targeting of “fraternal Arab countries” and reiterated that Islamabad wanted a stable and peaceful Iran.
The official dismissed suggestions that Pakistan could be the next target in the regional escalation, calling such claims “baseless and at odds with ground reality”.
Read more: 435 Afghan combatants killed, 188 tanks and vehicles destroyed in Operation Ghazab Lil Haq: Tarar
He added that Pakistan and Iran could not be considered identical in terms of military capability, foreign policy or internal affairs.
He said Pakistan remained committed to a strong foreign policy based on mutual respect and trust and was fully capable of defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Referring to what he described as “Marka e Haq” and Pakistan’s long war against terrorism, the official said the armed forces, with public support, would thwart “every nefarious plan of the enemy”.
He condemned what he called propaganda aimed at creating chaos and stressed that Pakistan valued its long-standing strategic relations with Saudi Arabia.
Regarding a proposed international stabilization force for Gaza, he said the details had not yet been finalized and any decision on Pakistan’s participation would be made by the government after consultations.
The latest escalation of tensions between the two countries follows a series of bumbling actions over the past year.
Pakistan has previously carried out airstrikes targeting camps of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan province inside Afghanistan following a spate of attacks in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad.
Read also: Pakistan launches cross-border raids on seven terrorist camps after bombings
Islamabad has long maintained that TTP leaders operate from Afghan territory, a claim that Kabul has repeatedly denied.
Tensions also rose after a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9 last year. Taliban forces subsequently targeted areas along the Pakistan border, prompting Islamabad to respond with cross-border shelling. The exchanges caused losses and damage to infrastructure on both sides and led to the suspension of trade after the border crossings were closed on 12 October 2025.
