Operation Ghazab lil-Haq & Durand Line

Pakistan launched a major military offensive named Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against positions held by the Afghan Taliban along the disputed Durand Line.

• Pakistan’s claim: The operation was launched after “unprovoked firing” from Afghan territory.
• Location: Border regions separating Pakistan from Afghanistan.
• Timing: 26 February 2026.

This marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the two neighbours.

Background of Rising Tensions

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been deteriorating for months:

• October 2025 clashes: Deadly border skirmishes killed soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants.
• Explosions in Kabul: Afghan officials blamed Pakistan for attacks in Kabul.
• Pakistani response: Islamabad conducted airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting alleged militant hideouts.

The Core Issue: Durand Line Dispute

The conflict is rooted in the long-standing dispute over the Durand Line, a 2,611-km border drawn in the 19th century during British colonial rule.

• Named after Sir Mortimer Durand, who negotiated the border agreement with Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan in 1893.
• The agreement defined spheres of influence between British India and Afghanistan.
• It split Pashtun tribal regions across the border.

Different Positions

Pakistan’s stance

• Recognises the Durand Line as its official international border.
• Inherited it after independence in 1947.

Afghanistan’s stance

• Successive governments, including the Taliban, reject the Durand Line.
• Argue it unfairly divided Pashtun and Baloch ethnic homelands.
• Claim the 1893 agreement was imposed under British pressure.