DG ISPR Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry speaks during an interview. Photo: Screengrab
ISLAMABAD:
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said 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 operating from Afghan soil, citing the abandonment of $7.2 billion worth of American military equipment during the US withdrawal.
Briefing senior journalists on Nov 25 on the country’s security matters, the DG ISPR noted that Pakistan’s position on the Doha Agreement was “absolutely clear”, saying the Afghan Taliban regime must stop providing support and safe havens to terrorist outfits.
He added that Pakistan had shared “irrefutable evidence” with Kabul regarding the presence of terror centres, including the leadership of Al Qaeda, Islamic State and other groups, inside Afghanistan.
IBOs
Sharing operational details, Lt Gen Chaudhry said security forces had carried out 4,910 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) since Nov 4, 2025, eliminating 206 terrorists.
He observed that this year alone, 67,023 IBOs had been conducted nationwide — including 12,857 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 53,309 in Balochistan — resulting in the killing of 1,873 terrorists, 136 of whom were Afghan nationals.
Border management
The military spokesman said misleading propaganda was carried out against the security institutions about border management. He maintained that the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier runs through some of the world’s most difficult terrain.
The K-P portion of Pak-Afghan border stretches 1,229km with 20 crossing points, he said, adding that in many areas the distance between border posts is up to 20km-25km.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said fencing alone cannot be fully effective without observation and fire support. He observed that building a security post every 2-5km and having drone surveillance would incur a “huge cost”.
“Unlike Punjab and Sindh, many villages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are divided across both sides of the border, which makes restricting the movement [of people] a challenge. Border management around the world is carried out jointly by neighbouring countries, but in contrast, the Afghan Taliban are fully facilitating the infiltration of terrorists from Afghanistan into Pakistan.”
The DG ISPR said one would barely find any “administration” on the borders in terrorism-prone areas, which increases the governance issues. “These border areas have a strong political-terror-crime nexus, which is facilitated by the terrorists of the Fitna al Khawarij.”
He asked that if terrorist formations are entering from across the border, or if illegal smuggling and trade are taking place, then who is responsible for stopping them inside the country?
“If hundreds of thousands of non-custom-paid vehicles are moving around in your province, who is supposed to stop them? These non-custom-paid vehicles are part of the political-terror-crime nexus and are used in suicide attacks.”
Evidence presented
The 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 centres and the leadership of Al Qaeda, Islamic State and other terrorist groups are present inside Afghanistan.”
He said these terrorist groups receive weapons and funding from Afghanistan, which are then used against Pakistan.
The military’s spokesman recalled that Pakistan had presented all the evidence to the Afghan side, which they cannot deny. “Pakistan demands of the Taliban regime that they agree to an agreement [to combat cross-border terrorism] under a verifiable mechanism” adding that “if a third party is to implement the verifiable mechanism, Pakistan would have no objection to it”.
He dismissed the Taliban regime’s claim that terrorists are Pakistani citizens who migrated and are “guests,” challenging them to hand over any Pakistani national to be dealt with under Pakistani law.
Citing a report by the United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sigar), he noted that $7.2 billion worth of US military equipment 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.”
Taliban not representative of Afghan people
The DG ISPR said the Afghan Taliban had been unable to “convert” themselves into a state after 2021, and were now patronising various non-state actors, including those that were “country-specific and region-specific”.
He further stated that the Afghan Taliban regime does not represent the Afghan people as it does not include all ethnic groups and provides no representation for 50 per cent of Afghan women.
“Our issue 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 property of our citizens,” he said. “Blood and business cannot go together.”
Comments on India
Responding to recent remarks by the Indian army chief, who termed Operation Sindoor ‘a trailer,’ the DG ISPR said that his narrative reflects a delusional mindset.”
“Seven jets were downed, 26 locations were attacked, and the S400 batteries were lost in that ‘trailer’. So, I think now he wants to watch a full horror film,” 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 placing it in the hands of terrorists.”
Foreign-run disinformation networks
The DG ISPR also highlighted that there were social media accounts based outside of Pakistan that were involved in inciting violence in the country.
He said the accounts were “doing politics inside Pakistan, and concocting a narrative against the state, against your army, against your leaders”.
NAP implementation and smuggling crackdowns
The military spokesman said all political parties and governments agree that the solution to terrorism lies in implementing the National Action Plan (NAP).
He observed 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 K-P.
He said before the army, FC, and provincial government crackdown on Iranian diesel smuggling, 20.5 million liters of diesel were being smuggled daily. “This amount has now been reduced to 2.7 million liters per day. The funds generated from diesel smuggled from Iran are directed to the BLA and BYC.”
The DG ISPR further stated that due to the implementation of the 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 engaging with local communities, conducting around 140 daily and 4,000 monthly engagements, which have had far-reaching results, he said, and emphasised that without such government measures, terrorism cannot be controlled.
