Afghan Taliban sponsoring terrorism for ‘war economy’: ISPR DG

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry is addressing a press conference covering the security situation and other issues.

The presser is being held amid rising terrorism in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Terrorist attacks have seen a sharp increase in the country since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban regime came into power.

In his opening remarks, the military’s spokesperson said that the purpose of the media briefing was to give a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken in the past year.

Addressing the hostilities with Afghanistan, the ISPR chief said that the Afghan Taliban regime had attacked Pakistani border posts, following which, “whatever was needed was done, and a hard message was given”.

“In the last three months, we have closed the borders. There are many signs here for those who see and understand.”

Noting that Islamabad targeted terrorists at the Afghan border in October 2025, and “dozens of Afghan posts were eliminated within hours”.

“Afghanistan has become the centre of terrorist operations in the region,” he said while explaining the factors behind terrorism.

Recalling the Doha agreement, the 2020 US-Taliban peace deal, he recalled that the Afghan Taliban had assured that terrorism would be eradicated from the Afghan soil.

However, he lamented, the neighbouring country remains a stronghold of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.

All terrorist organisations are based in Afghanistan, and are being nurtured there, he said.

Political-criminal-terror nexus in KP

Providing details of the counterterror efforts in 2025, Lt Gen Chaudhry apprised that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs).

Giving a breakdown, he said 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, while 1,739 operations took place in the rest of the country.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said that 5,397 terrorism incidents were reported nationwide during the last year. Of these, 3,811 incidents, he said, occurred in KP 1,557 in Balochistan, and 29 incidents were reported in other parts of the country.

Noting that nearly 71% of terrorist incidents occurred in KP, he said: “The primary reason for this is a politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus which is flourishing there [in KP]”.

He said that 2,597 terrorists were killed during counterterror operations last year.

Reiterating the resolve to curb the menace of terrorism, he said: “We have to win the war against terrorism at all costs”.

“We have to win this war with strength.”

“We targeted the TTP, not TTA,” said Lt Gen Chaudhry.

While expanding on the 10 major terror attacks across the country, he said that civilians and soft targets had been deliberately targeted, and Afghan militants were involved in all attacks.

“We have evidence of the presence of all terrorists… where they are and where they operate,” he said.

During the press briefing, video confessions of arrested terrorists were also played.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said 21 civilians were martyred in the Jaffar Express attack, adding that the incident would never fade from the memory of Pakistanis.

He further stated that a civilian bus was also targeted in Noshki, while an attack on the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta resulted in the martyrdom of eight civilians.

“The attack on the FC headquarters in Quetta was carried out by Afghans,” the ISPR DG said, adding that a similar attack had taken place on the FC headquarters in Peshawar in November.

False narrative on use of drones

Referring to an attempted attack on Cadet College Wana, the ISPR DG said Afghan terrorists had tried to replicate the 2014 APS Peshawar attack.

“This is a war of the nation, a war of every single child,” he said, rejecting a narrative portraying the fight against terrorism as solely the military’s responsibility.

“A narrative is built, suggesting this is the army’s war. This is not true,” Lt Gen Chaudhry added.

Addressing the concerns and rumours raised regarding harm to civilians, Lt Gen Chaudhry said that a false narrative is being propagated that the Pakistan Army uses drones during anti-terror operations.

He said that it was Fitna al-Khawarij, TTP, which started using armed quadcopters, adding that their patron, India, provides them with full support.

The ISPR chief said a special wing of the militants operates armed quadcopters, which are used for terrorist activities.

He said that terrorists use mosques, public places, and residential homes to carry out attacks and use women and children as human shields to conduct their activities.

The military spokesperson clarified that the Pakistan Army uses drones primarily for surveillance purposes.

Modi Afghan Taliban’s ‘new hero’

The ISPR chief said that the Afghan Taliban regime has found a “new hero” in the form of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said that the nexus between Fitna Al-Khawarij and India became fully exposed in 2025, posing a serious threat to regional peace and security.

He said that if Afghanistan and India wish to confront Pakistan, they are welcome to do so, adding that, “We will fulfil their desire.”