He cited the abandonment of $7.2 billion worth of US military equipment during the US withdrawal.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry of DG ISPR speaks during an interview. Photo: screenshot
ISLAMABAD:
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that the Afghan Taliban regime has become a threat not only to Pakistan but to the entire region and the world as it continues to facilitate terrorist groups to operate from Afghan soil, citing the abandonment of US military equipment worth $7.2 billion during the US withdrawal.
Briefing senior journalists on November 25 on the country’s security issues, DG ISPR noted that Pakistan’s position on the Doha Agreement was “absolutely clear”, saying that the Afghan Taliban regime must stop providing support and safe havens to terrorist groups.
He added that Pakistan had shared “irrefutable evidence” with Kabul about the presence of terrorist centers, including leaders of Al Qaeda, Islamic State and other groups, inside Afghanistan.
IBO
Sharing operational details, Lt Gen Chaudhry said security forces had carried out 4,910 Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) since November 4, 2025, eliminating 206 terrorists.
He noted that this year alone, 67,023 IBOs had been carried out across the country, including 12,857 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 53,309 in Balochistan, resulting in the death of 1,873 terrorists, 136 of whom were Afghan nationals.
Border management
The military spokesperson claimed that misleading propaganda was carried out against security institutions over border management. He argued that the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan passes through some of the most difficult terrain in the world.
The KP part of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border stretches for 1,229 kilometers with 20 crossing points, he said, adding that in many areas the distance between border posts is up to 20 to 25 kilometers.
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said fences alone cannot be fully effective without observation and fire support. He noted that building a security checkpoint every 2 to 5 kilometers and having drone surveillance would be a “huge cost.”
“Unlike Punjab and Sindh, many villages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are divided on both sides of the border, making it difficult to restrict movement. [of people] a challenge. “Border management around the world is jointly carried out by neighboring countries, but on the contrary, the Afghan Taliban is fully facilitating the infiltration of terrorists from Afghanistan into Pakistan.”
DG ISPR claimed that hardly any “administration” would be found on the borders of terrorism-prone areas, adding to governance problems. “These border areas have a strong nexus between politics, terrorism and crime, which is facilitated by the Fitna al Khawarij terrorists.”
He asked that if terrorist formations are entering from the other side of the border, or if smuggling and illegal trade are taking place, who is responsible for stopping them within the country?
“If hundreds of thousands of unpaid vehicles are driving around your province, who is supposed to stop them? These unpaid vehicles are part of the nexus of politics, terrorism and crime and are used in suicide attacks.”
Evidence presented
DG ISPR said Pakistan’s position on the Doha Agreement with Afghanistan is “absolutely clear”. He said Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban regime must stop facilitating terrorists. “Terrorist centers and leaders of Al Qaeda, Islamic State and other terrorist groups are present inside Afghanistan.”
He said that these terrorist groups receive weapons and funding from Afghanistan, which are then used against Pakistan.
The military spokesperson reminded that Pakistan had presented all the evidence to the Afghan side, which they cannot deny. “Pakistan demands the Taliban regime to accept an agreement [to combat cross-border terrorism] under a verifiable mechanism,” adding that “if a third party applied the verifiable mechanism, Pakistan would have no objection to it.”
He dismissed the Taliban regime’s claim that the terrorists are Pakistani citizens who emigrated and are “guests”, challenging them to hand over any Pakistani citizen for treatment under Pakistani law.
Citing a report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sigar), he noted that US military equipment worth $7.2 billion had been left behind in the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. “The Afghan regime has become a threat not only to Pakistan but to the entire region and the world.”
The Taliban do not represent the Afghan people
DG ISPR said the Afghan Taliban had failed to “become” a state after 2021, and were now sponsoring various non-state actors, including those that were “country- and region-specific”.
She further stated that the Afghan Taliban regime does not represent the Afghan people as it does not include all ethnic groups and does not offer representation to 50 percent of Afghan women.
“Our problem is not with the Afghan people but with the Afghan Taliban regime. The suspension of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is linked to our security and the protection of the lives and properties of our citizens,” he said. “Blood and business cannot go together.”
Comments on India
Responding to the Indian Army chief’s recent comments calling Operation Sindoor “a trailer”, the DG ISPR said its narrative reflects a delusional mindset.
“Seven planes were shot down, 26 places were attacked and S400 batteries were lost in that ‘trailer’. So I think now you want to watch a full horror movie,” he said, adding that India wanted to sell its defeat as a victory to its population.
“Any country that provides equipment to the Afghan Taliban will, in effect, be putting it in the hands of terrorists.”
Foreign disinformation networks
The DG ISPR also highlighted that there were social media accounts based outside Pakistan that were involved in inciting violence in the country.
He said the accounts were “playing politics within Pakistan and inventing a narrative against the state, against its army, against its leaders.”
Implementation of the PAN and fight against smuggling
The military spokesman said that all political parties and governments agree that the solution to terrorism involves implementing the National Action Plan (PAN).
He noted that a comprehensive structure has been established in Balochistan with steering, monitoring and implementation committees at district, divisional and provincial levels, adding that similar mechanisms are lacking in KP.
He said that before the army, FC and the provincial government cracked down on Iranian diesel smuggling, 20.5 million liters of diesel were smuggled daily. “This amount has now been reduced to 2.7 million liters per day. Funds generated from diesel smuggled from Iran go to the BLA and BYC.”
The DG ISPR further stated that due to the implementation of NAP, all 27 districts of Balochistan, covering 86 per cent of the province, are now under police jurisdiction. The provincial government and security forces are continuously interacting with local communities, conducting around 140 clashes daily and 4,000 monthly, which have had far-reaching results, he said, emphasizing that without such government measures, terrorism cannot be controlled.
