The launch of Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq by Pakistani forces, in the backdrop of provocative attacks on 53 locations along the border by the Taliban regime, is of unprecedented intensity and reflects the unswerving resolve of the Pakistani state to take the fight to its logical end. Pakistan has been forced to take this decisive action by repeated attacks on its soil by the TTP and Daesh, as well as the failure of diplomatic demarches and mediation efforts by friendly countries. Taking the fight to its logical end means continuing until the Taliban decide whether they stand with Pakistan or with terrorist entities, an objective justifiably reiterated by the DG ISPR in his press briefing regarding the details of the damage inflicted on the military installations of the Taliban regime. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also minced no words in declaring that it is now an open war with Afghanistan.

The remarkable thing is that the entire nation, including all political parties and even the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, has endorsed military action against Afghanistan, and the Senate of Pakistan has also passed a unanimous resolution in this regard.

According to reports, Pakistani security forces have destroyed 180 security posts, annihilated nearly 190 tanks and APCs, blasted ammunition depots, killed nearly 500 Taliban fighters and wounded well over 600, besides destroying a number of military bases, including Bagram Air Base. Reportedly, the Taliban leadership has also left Kabul to save their lives.

Meanwhile, China, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia and the UN secretary-general have urged a resolution of the dispute through dialogue and an end to the hostilities. Russia and Iran have also offered to mediate. While one may appreciate the concern shown by them over the escalating situation, it is pertinent to remind them that the record of the Taliban in this regard is very dismal. The spokesperson of the Taliban regime, Zabihullah Mujahid, has also emphasised a preference for resolving rising tensions with Pakistan through dialogue.

Pakistan, however, has rightly declined mediation at the moment and is determined to take the fight to its logical end. According to a statement issued by the ISPR, the COAS, Syed Asim Munir, during his visit to Pakistani troops in Wana on Wednesday, declared unequivocally that peace could only prevail between the two sides if the Afghan Taliban renounced their support for terrorism and terrorist organisations.

Pakistan is on record as having made relentless efforts through bilateral dialogue as well as through multilateral channels to impress upon the Taliban not to allow their soil to be used by terrorist entities for attacks in Pakistan, as they had committed under the Doha Agreement. However, they have not taken any credible action in this regard. Instead, there has been an exponential resurgence in acts of terrorism. High-profile attacks during the last six months, including those on the Jaffar Express and in 12 cities of Balochistan by the BLA with alleged Indian involvement, as well as recent suicide attacks in Bajaur, Islamabad and Bannu by Fitna-al-Khawarij, have left Pakistan with no choice but to take kinetic action.

Before the eruption of full-scale war, Pakistani forces, in retaliation for recent terrorist attacks in Bajaur and Islamabad, conducted intelligence-based strikes against seven camps and hideouts of Fitna-al-Khawarij and Daesh in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban, instead of realising the gravity of the situation and putting these terrorists on a leash, chose to attack Pakistani security posts, which necessitated further strikes. A day earlier, after a suicide attack on a security post in Bajaur in which 16 security personnel were martyred, the Foreign Office had summoned the deputy head of the Afghan mission in Islamabad and conveyed in the strongest possible terms that Pakistan’s patience was not unlimited and that it had the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

It is also pertinent to note that the Taliban regime has not only been providing support to Fitna-al-Khawarij but has also directly launched attacks on Pakistani security posts along the border. This crossing of the red line forced the Pakistan armed forces to take kinetic measures in response to these unprovoked attacks, making the Taliban realise their folly and eventually appeal for a 48-hour ceasefire. In the meantime, Turkiye and Qatar offered to mediate to defuse the situation. Pakistan, welcoming the initiative, participated in two rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul. During the Istanbul talks, the Taliban finally acknowledged the presence of the TTP on their soil and promised not to allow them to use Afghan territory for attacks against Pakistan. That commitment, however, remained as elusive as ever.

In the end, all disputes and wars conclude through dialogue, but such a situation arises only when one of the parties is humbled by the military might of the other, making dialogue meaningful. The UN and the world community are witness to the fact that the Taliban have not honoured their commitments under the Doha Agreement and continue to defy the international community regarding the establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and the rights of women. They are unlikely to honour any commitment until they are militarily humbled and their ability to harbour terrorist groups is completely neutralised. For Pakistan, this is an opportunity that must not be squandered, and its actions remain in consonance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

As far as Indian support for acts of terrorism in Pakistan is concerned, a separate diplomatic initiative must be launched to sensitise the UNSC and the international community about the proxy war it is waging against Pakistan and its alleged involvement in terrorist activities in the country. The moment is particularly opportune in light of the confession made by an Indian agent in a US court regarding the hiring of a hitman to murder Gurpatwant Singh, a leader of the Khalistan movement in the United States.

Malik Muhammad AshrafThe writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com

© The Nation