PESHAWAR: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday reaffirmed the Pakistan Armed Forces’ determination to eliminate terrorism and dismantle what he described as the “political-criminal nexus” behind militant violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Addressing a press conference at the Corps Headquarters Peshawar, the DG ISPR said that although all political parties had agreed to a unified counterterrorism strategy through the National Action Plan after the 2014 APS tragedy, “subsequent governments failed to ensure continuity.” He added that the rebranded framework, Azm-e-Istehkam, also remains only partially implemented.
Rejecting calls for talks with militant groups, Lt Gen Chaudhry said: “Who are we to talk to — those who behead children and play football with their heads? Pakistan’s national security cannot be mortgaged to another country, especially Afghanistan.”
He revealed that in 2024, more than 14,500 intelligence-based operations were conducted in KP, killing 769 terrorists, while 917 militants have been eliminated so far in 2025 through over 10,000 operations. At least 516 Pakistanis, including 311 military personnel, 73 police officials, and 132 civilians, have lost their lives this year.
The ISPR chief said the majority of attacks were concentrated in KP, accusing political patronage and weak governance of creating space for militants. He also pointed to the role of Afghan nationals, revealing that 161 Afghans had been killed in terror incidents over the past two years, and nearly 30 suicide bombers carried Afghan citizenship.
Criticising opposition to the repatriation of Afghan refugees, Lt Gen Chaudhry said it had been a national policy since 2014, yet “misleading claims and political opportunism” were now politicising the decision.
He further alleged that India was using Afghan soil to fuel terrorism in Pakistan and warned Kabul to ensure its territory was not used by non-state actors.
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Highlighting judicial shortcomings, he noted that not a single terrorist had been convicted in KP as of August 2025, despite thousands of cases pending in courts. He stressed the urgent need to strengthen the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and legal mechanisms.
Paying tribute to fallen soldiers, police, and civilians, Lt Gen Chaudhry said their sacrifices would never be allowed to go in vain. “The blood of our martyrs has written a golden chapter in history. No one will be allowed to politicise their sacrifices,” he said.
The DG ISPR concluded with a call for unity: “If anyone believes their politics is greater than Pakistan, or their personality greater than the state itself, that is unacceptable. We must all unite to defeat terrorism once and for all.”
