By ABDULLAH 
Pakistan’s military has once again drawn a firm line against terrorism. In a strongly worded press conference held in Peshawar on Friday, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry vowed to tighten the noose around the Khawarij terrorists and their facilitators no matter who they are or where they operate.
Addressing the media, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif said the state, armed forces, and law enforcement agencies are fully committed to protecting the people of Pakistan. He emphasized that those providing any form of support or shelter to terrorists will face decisive action. “No individual or group can mortgage Pakistan’s security to anyone,” he stated.
Taking direct aim at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, the DG ISPR urged it to fulfill its duty of protecting the province’s people rather than “begging Afghanistan for security.” He said governance failures and weak law enforcement in KP have created space for terrorists to regroup.
“Appeasement of terrorists and their facilitators is never a policy,” he remarked, adding that the state and its institutions will not be distracted by political distortions. “The state of Pakistan and its people will not and cannot be left to the whims of any single person who brought terrorism back to KP.”
The DG ISPR linked the surge in terrorism to poor governance and the failure to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit. He recalled that all political parties had unanimously agreed to the plan after the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack, but progress has since stalled.
“When the NAP was revised in 2021, some provisions were removed despite good progress,” he said. “Had the plan been properly implemented, Pakistan would not be facing this wave of terrorism again.”
He pointed out that around 70% of terrorist incidents in Pakistan occur in KP and Balochistan, calling it proof of “governance collapse and political confusion.”
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif shared operational statistics showing the magnitude of Pakistan’s fight against terrorism.
- In 2024, security forces conducted 14,535 intelligence-based operations (IBOs), killing 769 terrorists, including 58 Afghan nationals.
- In these operations, 272 army and FC personnel, 140 policemen, and 165 civilians embraced martyrdom.
- In 2025 (till mid-September), 10,115 IBOs were carried out, eliminating 970 terrorists and resulting in 311 army martyrs.
“The sacrifices of our martyrs will never go in vain,” he affirmed. “The people of Pakistan stand united against this menace.”
Commenting on reports of attacks in Kabul targeting TTP leaders, the DG ISPR said Pakistan does not seek confrontation with Afghanistan but expects it to stop its soil from being used for terrorism.
“Afghanistan is our brotherly, Islamic country. We share history, culture, and faith. But it is our fair demand that Afghan soil must not be used by terrorists against Pakistan,” he said.
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif also revealed that modern weapons left behind by the U.S. in Afghanistan are now being used by terrorist groups like the TTP and IS-K inside Pakistan.
He expressed serious concern over Pakistan’s judicial inefficiency in handling counterterrorism cases, revealing that no convictions have been recorded in KP’s anti-terrorism courts this year despite thousands of operations. “How can we expect results when 4,000 cases remain pending?” he questioned.
The DG ISPR criticized the spread of false narratives that undermine anti-terrorism operations and dishonor the sacrifices of the armed forces. He called such propaganda the product of a “political-criminal nexus” that aims to weaken national resolve.
Responding to questions about international cooperation, he clarified that while Pakistan engages allies like Saudi Arabia, UAE, China, the U.S., and Turkey, its security will not depend on external players. “Our people’s safety is our own responsibility,” he asserted.
He also warned that Afghanistan’s growing tolerance of non-state actors poses a global threat. “Every letter of the alphabet representing terrorism—TTP, IS-K, BLA—is present there,” he said. “Such groups will one day turn against those who protect them.”
In a clear message, the DG ISPR gave three choices to those facilitating terrorists:
- Hand them over to the law.
- Join the state to eliminate them.
- Face decisive action.
He concluded by reaffirming the military’s commitment: “Pakistan’s armed forces are the shield of the nation. We will continue to safeguard every inch of this land and every innocent life, no matter the cost.”