What does “Ghazab Lil Haq” mean and why Pakistan chose the name for its operation in Afghanistan

Pakistani security forces launched “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” carrying out coordinated air and ground strikes against Afghan Taliban positions in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Nangarhar, as well as several other locations, following what officials described as an unprovoked cross-border aggression.

The development comes as the military said Pakistan had “effectively pushed back” Afghan Taliban insurgents in 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy casualties on them while exercising restraint to avoid harming civilians.

Meaning behind the name

During the Pak-Afghan conflict, Pakistan named the last military action Operation Ghazab Lil Haq. The phrase reportedly means “Anger for the Truth” or “Furry for the Sake of Justice,” reflecting what officials describe as a forceful response to an attack.

Over the past two decades, most operations carried out by the Pakistani military have been named after Arabic or religious terminology, in part to give the campaigns moral or ideological context. However, during this period, Pakistan also carried out an operation whose name comes from English.

Read: US says it supports Pakistan’s ‘right to defend itself’ against Afghan Taliban

On June 15, 2014, in North Waziristan – a tribal region bordering Afghanistan – the army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb against militants. The Arabic term combines “Zarb” (strike) and “Azb”, referring to the sword of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), collectively meaning “the blow of the sword of truth”.

In February 2017, the Pakistan Army carried out nationwide search operations in all four provinces to eliminate terrorism and arrested several people under Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, which means rejection or elimination of disorder and terrorism.

During tensions between Pakistan and India in 2019, Pakistan announced Operation Swift Retort in response to Indian airstrikes, during which Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was also captured. The English name combines “swift” and “rétort” (response), together meaning a rapid response.

This latest operation underlines Pakistan’s determination to secure its western border while minimizing civilian casualties.

Current photo

Pakistan said on Saturday its forces had killed 331 Taliban terrorists in a major military operation launched after what it described as unprovoked cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, as regional and world powers called for restraint amid rising tensions. The government said “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq” was launched on Thursday evening following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

In a statement published on

Learn more: Implacable accounts for the Taliban

Tarar said Pakistani forces destroyed 104 Taliban posts, captured 22 others and neutralized 163 tanks and armored personnel carriers, adding that airstrikes were carried out on 37 sites in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials said the operation targeted armed groups aligned with the Afghan Taliban, which Islamabad accuses of staging repeated cross-border attacks.