Pakistan debates renaming Ghaznavi, Ghauri and Abdali Missiles after humiliating border clash with Afghanistan

Pakistan is facing growing pressure at home to rename several of its missiles that are named after old Afghan rulers. This comes after recent border clashes with Afghanistan in which Pakistan suffered heavy losses and failed to gain any real advantage; a big embarrassment for its military.

 

 

The missiles include Ghaznavi, Ghauri, and Abdali - all named after medieval Afghan kings who once invaded parts of undivided India.

 

 

The debate has intensified after a series of fierce border clashes in which both countries suffered heavy casualties but Pakistan’s inability to achieve a clear military advantage has been widely seen as a humiliating blow. Afghan forces have reportedly resisted Pakistani operations more strongly than expected, damaging Islamabad’s long-standing image of military superiority along the border.

 

Many Pakistani journalists and politicians began openly questioning why their country names its missiles after Afghan rulers while fighting those same people on the battlefield.

 

Popular journalist Hamid Mir raised this question on live TV. An old video of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also went viral, in which he called Mahmud Ghaznavi "a looter from Afghanistan" and said, "We made him a hero, but I reject him.”

 

 

Afghan citizens and officials have strongly condemned Pakistan for using their rulers names on missiles being used against them. Many in Kabul called it 'an insult' and accused Pakistan of stealing their history.

 

For years, Pakistan has used names of famous rulers to show power, especially against India. But now, those same names are causing political trouble after the country’s failure at the border.

 

Pakistan has not yet said whether it will change the names of the missiles. But the debate is growing louder after its military setback, turning what was once a show of strength into a point of national shame.