Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Afghan Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid shake hands after signing a ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar and Turkey in Doha on October 19. Photo: Reuters
ISLAMABAD:
Declaring that the Afghan Taliban were not “Pakistan’s favourites”, the top military spokesman warned that any cross-border attack from Afghanistan would effectively end the existing ceasefire, adding that such aggression would be met with a “swift and strong response”.
In an informal interaction with journalists in Rawalpindi on Monday, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the recent clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan had led to the death of 206 Afghan Taliban soldiers and 110 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He said Pakistan has always fought against terrorism and will continue to do so, reiterating that Islamabad will never hold talks with any terrorist group.
“We have engaged with the Afghan Taliban regime, but we will not negotiate with any terrorist group,” he said.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry stressed that “security is not achieved through petitions or appeasement.” He said Pakistan reserves the right to defend itself and will respond strongly to any attack.
According to him, the Afghan Taliban had previously asked Qatar and Türkiye to mediate between the two sides. During these interactions, Pakistan presented “irrefutable evidence” of terrorist attacks and infiltrations originating from Afghan soil.
“We told Afghanistan that they must take action against these militants or hand them over to us so that we can bring them to justice.”
He regretted that the Doha Agreement, which set out commitments by the Afghan Taliban, was not being implemented and questioned how long Afghanistan would continue under an interim setup. The spokesperson also criticized the Taliban’s ideology and stated that women continue to be denied access to education.
The DG ISPR reiterated that Pakistan’s agenda with Afghanistan is unique: Afghan soil should not be used for attacks against Pakistan. “Pakistan’s only concern is that its borders and its people remain safe.”
He stressed that Afghanistan’s conditions or demands have no meaning for Pakistan as far as its national security is concerned. “The elimination of terrorism is not negotiable,” he stressed.
He linked terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa directly to the narco-economy, revealing that around 12,000 acres of land in the Tirah Valley were under poppy cultivation.
“Each acre yields a profit of between Rs 1.8 and Rs 3.2 million,” he said, adding that local politicians and influential figures were complicit in this illicit trade.
“The Afghan Taliban protects these activities because the poppy is transported to Afghanistan, where it is processed to make ice and other narcotics,” he said.
He said military operations in the Tirah Valley had destroyed poppy crops through coordinated efforts involving drones, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and the Frontier Corps (FC).
According to DG ISPR, 192 security personnel were killed in operations in Tirah over the past year. He alleged that political leaders, drug cartels, the Afghan Taliban and the TTP jointly sustained this criminal network.
“This nefarious link between the drug mafia and terrorist groups is one of the main obstacles to eliminating crime and militancy in the region,” he said.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry added that non-customized vehicles and Iranian oil smuggling were also sources of terrorist financing.
When asked about his criticism of “local politicians”, he did not deny suggestions that his comments referred to KP Chief Minister Suhail Afridi, but clarified that he recognized Afridi as the legitimate Chief Minister of the province.
DG ISPR urged politicians not to politicize counter-terrorism operations.
“Politicians may differ on other issues, but terrorism should not be politicized,” he said, pointing out that 62,113 operations were carried out across Pakistan this year, mostly in Balochistan, resulting in the martyrdom of 582 soldiers and the death of 1,667 terrorists belonging to the TTP.
He said madrassas in Pakistan had increased from 48,000 in 2014 to more than 100,000, and many were being monitored for possible misuse.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry stressed that the military wanted to stay out of politics. “The army does not want to be involved in political affairs. It must stay away from politics,” he said.
Warning to India
In a strong message to New Delhi, he said India was preparing another false flag operation in the deep sea. “India can do whatever it wants, on land, air or sea, but it must know that Pakistan’s response this time will be more severe than before.”
He added that Pakistan’s response in Afghanistan has been swift and any external aggression will be dealt with decisively.
Gaza deployment and foreign policy
Regarding the possibility of deploying Pakistani peacekeepers in Gaza, DG ISPR clarified that the issue did not fall under military jurisdiction.
“This matter concerns the government. Any decision to send forces to Gaza will be made by the government and parliament,” he said.
He emphasized that Pakistan is a sovereign state that makes its own political decisions and that the army is fully prepared to protect the country’s borders and people. He also denied any understanding between Pakistan and the United States on the use of drones in Afghanistan.
