He says the armed forces are fully aware of state-sponsored attempts by hostile intelligence agencies to destabilize Pakistan.
Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Wednesday reiterated that cross-border terrorism would be crushed in full force and those providing shelter and facilitation to militancy would be completely dismantled.
The remarks came during CDF Munir’s visit to the National Defense University (NDU) in Islamabad, where he addressed the graduating officers of the Warfare and National Security Course, comprising participants from all services, the army’s media wing said in a statement.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), CDF Munir addressed the security situation in the country and “reiterated that terrorism emanating from across the borders will be crushed with the full power of the State.” “The armed forces, with the support of the nation, will ensure that the terrorist sanctuaries of these proxies along with their enablers are completely dismantled,” he added.
CDF Munir commented that the armed forces were “fully aware of state-sponsored attempts by hostile intelligence agencies to destabilize Pakistan”, adding that the efforts of such proxies and networks, “operating under the aegis of hostile intelligence agencies are futile and will not be allowed to undermine the internal security and economic prosperity of Pakistan.”
He highlighted the evolutionary nature of war and underlined the importance of strategic clarity and institutional professionalism in addressing complex strategic issues.
The statement further added that the field marshal also highlighted that the army was recalibrating its employment and development strategies in line with the evolved character of the war. “The field marshal stressed that wars are not won through media rhetoric or political slogans but through faith, unity and discipline,” the statement said.
He also praised the role of institutions like the NDU in “fostering future civil-military leadership capable of mitigating hybrid, conventional and sub-conventional threats with foresight, confidence and determination.”
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, addressing the graduating officers of the National Defense University, reaffirmed the determination of the Pakistan Armed Forces to defeat terrorism and dismantle hostile power networks. Highlighting the changing nature of… pic.twitter.com/aJAPGnouX2
– Pakistan Television (@PakTVGlobal) July 8, 2026
Read more: 11 soldiers martyred and 14 terrorists killed in attack on army convoy in Bela-Winder, Balochistan
CDF Munir concluded by expressing “full confidence in the professionalism, morale and operational preparedness of Pakistan’s gallant armed forces and urged the graduating officers to diligently adhere to the values of integrity, selfless service and unwavering commitment to the nation.”
Earlier, during a press conference, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that India, along with hostile elements, was involved in terrorism inside Pakistan and could not tolerate the country’s stability and progress.
“They are using the territories under the control of this illegitimate Afghan Taliban regime as a base of operations. And most of the people, once we confronted them, turned out to be Afghans,” he said.
He also referred to the recent terrorist attack on a Rangers camp in Karachi, saying there were four attackers, three of whom were Afghans.
“All the planning, all the equipment, everything was done from Afghanistan,” he added.
The DG ISPR said there was a plan, a mastermind, an intention, a logistics and an operational sequence behind the recent terrorist activities in Balochistan.
“The facilitation is provided by the Afghan Taliban regime. They are providing manpower. Because they have a problem with the dignity and development of Pakistan,” he said.
He added that these elements had a problem with the stability of the people of Pakistan and did not want Balochistan to prosper because, according to him, “Balochistan was the life, pride and glory of Pakistan.”
The DG ISPR said the armed forces, under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, had absolute clarity about the threat and were acting under the political direction of the government.
“We will confront each and every terrorist, their facilitators, those who harbor them, those who provide them, those who provide them with a base, wherever they are, without any distinction. Do not expect any kind of rationality and proportionality from us,” he promised.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan and India of supporting terrorism
Pakistan has repeatedly pointed to an Afghanistan-India nexus behind terrorism in the country.
In November 2024, the DG ISPR had issued a warning that the Afghan regime was a threat not only to Pakistan but to the entire region and the world, citing the abandonment of US military equipment worth $7.2 billion during the US withdrawal.
Chaudhry reiterated that the Afghan regime was harboring “non-state actors” that posed a threat to several countries in the region, and pointed to the Taliban’s failure to establish an inclusive state and government after 2021. He stressed that Pakistan’s problem was with the Afghan Taliban regime, not the Afghan people.
Read more: Afghan regime represents a threat to the region and the world: DG ISPR
After the conflict with India in May 2025, CDF Munir had said that Pakistan would never be coerced and that all hostile attempts to derail the country’s counter-terrorism efforts would be “completely defeated”.
He had said Pakistan’s army remained prepared to respond across the spectrum of the conflict. He criticized in particular India’s increasing tendency to resort to unprovoked military aggression, warning that strategic stability in South Asia was increasingly fragile and dependent on justice, especially in Kashmir.
In 2023, a UN report also revealed that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had established a new base in KP in mid-2023. The report sheds light on the close links not only between the TTP and the Afghan Taliban but also with anti-Pakistan groups and Al Qaeda.
Read this: The breeding ground for terror
The report further revealed that some Taliban members had also joined the TTP, perceiving it as a religious obligation to provide support.
Interlocutors reported that TTP members and their families regularly received aid packages from the Taliban.
Importantly, the UN report noted a significant increase in Afghan citizens in the ranks of the TTP. This supported Pakistan’s position that a growing number of Afghan nationals were involved in suicide attacks in the country.
