Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. Photo: Archive
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has firmly rejected Kabul’s allegations of Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory, stating that Pakistan does not carry out covert cross-border operations and always announces its actions publicly.
Speaking to senior journalists during an extended briefing on Tuesday, Lieutenant General Chaudhry said the accusations issued by the Afghan Taliban regime were baseless.
Kabul had claimed that Pakistan “bombed” Khost province and carried out attacks in Kunar and Paktika, an allegation it flatly dismissed.
Responding to a question, he highlighted that Pakistan operates transparently. “Every time we carry out an operation, we announce it openly. In October, when we attacked inside Afghanistan, we informed everyone,” he said, adding that Pakistan never attacks civilians. “Our problem is not the Afghan people but terrorism. Blood and trade cannot continue together; this cannot happen if we face attacks and still conduct trade.”
He said committees overseeing counter-terrorism efforts were active and included military representatives, adding that the Balochistan government was fully implementing the National Action Plan while working against networks seeking to destabilize the economy.
On border security, he said the Army and Frontier Corps were managing the border and referred to discussions held in Doha and Istanbul, where Afghan interlocutors had at times threatened to allow “6,000 TTP terrorists to enter Pakistan”.
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry accused Afghan authorities and militants of pushing hostile narratives, including talks of a “Greater Pashtunistan.” He warned that senior Afghan officials themselves had issued statements indicating intentions to attack Pakistan.
He also noted the greater danger posed by American-made weapons left in Afghanistan. “American weapons were recovered even in the Mianwali terror attack. These missiles and weapons have become a threat to the entire world,” he said, adding that the militants used American weapons and bulletproof vehicles bought with narcotics money. Those weapons, he said, had appeared in 29 terrorist incidents inside Pakistan.
Read: Afghan Taliban regime accuses Pakistan of carrying out nighttime airstrikes
The DG ISPR outlined extensive counter-terrorism operations across the country and stated that 67,000 operations had been carried out since January – 1,387 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 3,485 in Balochistan. Most of the operations, he said, were being carried out in Balochistan, but Punjab and KP also remained active fronts. These operations resulted in the death of 210 militants, while Pakistan suffered heavy losses.
“This year, 607 security personnel have been martyred. In November alone, 4,910 operations were carried out, during which 57 Army and FC soldiers embraced martyrdom, 22 from the Army,” he said, adding that the civilian casualties included 14 people, while 11 martyrs belonged to the Frontier Corps.
He said Pakistan had reinforced its borders, restricting smuggling even for those with permits. The Balochistan army and government, he added, had significantly reduced diesel smuggling from Iran, cutting it by Rs 20.2 billion. “Stopping smuggling at the border is primarily the responsibility of the provincial government, but we fully support it.”
Commenting on the proceedings against former ISI chief General (r) Faiz Hameed, Lt Gen Chaudhry urged restraint. “The court-martial is a legal and judicial process. There should be no speculation. Once the process is concluded, we will inform you.”
Reiterating Pakistan’s resolve, he said the fight against terrorism is a fight the country must and will win. “The war against terrorism has to be won by the army and people of Pakistan. Whatever the nature of this war, Pakistan will prevail.”
