Senior security officials have declared that the time has come for the patrons and facilitators of terrorism to face consequences, as Pakistan presses ahead with its ongoing counter-terror campaign.
Briefing the media on Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, officials said the Afghan Taliban must decide whether they stand with Pakistan or with terrorist groups. They warned that operations inside Afghanistan would continue until firm assurances are received that support for militants has been halted.
Officials stressed there was no rush to end the campaign. The duration of Pakistan’s actions, they said, would depend on ground realities and the steps taken by the Afghan authorities. They maintained the Afghan Taliban government was undermining regional peace by providing safe havens to militant organisations and acting as a proxy master in the conflict.
According to the briefing, the Afghan Taliban leadership was promoting a “war economy” under the cover of religious ideology. Officials alleged that financial interests were driving policy decisions in Kabul, while Pakistan’s Ministry of Information continues to provide updates on the progress of Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq.
The security officials maintained that Islamabad was operating with full transparency and was targeting terrorist hideouts and their facilitators. They described these as legitimate defensive targets in what they termed an imposed war against terrorism. The officials also accused the Afghan Taliban government and its Indian backers of spreading misinformation.
Clarifying Islamabad’s position, the officials said Pakistan has no interest in regime change in Afghanistan, calling it the sovereign right of the Afghan people.
Providing operational details, the officials said more than 180 posts had been destroyed, while Pakistani forces had taken control of over 30 strategically important positions. These locations, they said, had been used as launch pads to facilitate cross-border terrorist activity.
Pakistan is not acting indiscriminately inside Afghanistan, the officials added, insisting that the military is precisely targeting the support infrastructure of terrorist organisations. They reiterated that the campaign would continue, warning that those backing militancy must now pay the price.
Regarding Middle East situation, officials said Pakistan is pursuing a balanced policy. At the same time, they said that Pakistan has unequivocally expressed its concerns over targeting of brotherly Arab countries by Iran.
They added that misperception of Pakistan likely to be the next target is devoid of facts and is highly misplaced.
“Pakistan pursues a robust foreign policy and values its relations with multiple global stakeholders. We believe in engagement for the sake of stability and prosperity of people of Pakistan. Pakistan’s relationship with rest of the world are based on mutual respect and trust.”
435 Afghan combatants killed, 188 posts destroyed
Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Monday released a significant operational update regarding ‘Operation Ghazb-lil-Haq’, detailing extensive casualties and material damage sustained by the Afghan Taliban.
In a post on social media platform X, the information minister apprised that the ongoing operation has resulted in the killing of 435 Afghan Taliban personnel, while more than 630 others have been reported injured so far since inception of the operation.
Military strikes have successfully destroyed 188 check posts and led to the capture of an additional 31 posts, he said.