Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has firmly stated that Pakistan’s political and military leadership are fully aligned on national security and counterterrorism, calling it the clear and unified narrative of the state. He emphasised that no political agenda, group, or individual is above Pakistan, and reiterated that terrorism will be defeated through decisive and sustained action.
DG ISPR terrorism briefing the media on Tuesday, the DG ISPR said the press conference aimed to present a comprehensive review of terrorist activities and counterterrorism operations carried out during 2025. He described the past year as historic and productive in the fight against terrorism, with an unprecedented number of intelligence-based operations conducted nationwide.
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According to him, law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations in 2025, averaging 206 operations per day. Of these, 14,658 operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other parts of the country. Despite these efforts, 5,397 terrorist incidents were recorded nationwide, including 3,811 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,557 in Balochistan.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the higher number of incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was due to what he termed a politically favourable environment for terrorists, warning that such conditions cannot be allowed to continue. He stressed that extremist elements referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij have no link to Islam and are outside its teachings.
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He noted that terrorism began rising again after 2021, following political changes in Afghanistan and the Doha Agreement. He alleged that Afghanistan has since become a regional centre for terrorism, hosting leadership and training camps of multiple terrorist organisations. He further claimed that terrorism in Pakistan is sponsored by India, while the Afghan Taliban facilitate militant groups to sustain what he described as a “war economy.”
The DG ISPR said Pakistan possesses solid evidence of cross-border terrorism, adding that many major attacks on civilians and security forces were carried out by Afghan nationals. He referred to incidents such as the Jafar Express attack, attacks on FC headquarters, and assaults on civilian transport, stressing that these tragedies will never be forgotten.
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Rejecting allegations of collateral damage, he maintained that Pakistan’s armed forces strictly target terrorists and their facilitators, using drones and modern surveillance only for intelligence and operational purposes. He added that militants often use civilians, including women and children, as shields, while the army takes every possible measure to protect innocent lives.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry criticised political narratives opposing military operations, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling them irresponsible and harmful to national security. He reiterated that all political parties have consensus on the National Action Plan, which must be fully implemented to eliminate terrorism. He also linked illegal weapons, narcotics, and smuggling to terrorist financing.
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He highlighted that Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts have been acknowledged internationally, while the United Nations has reported the presence of nearly 20 terrorist organisations operating in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan’s taxpayers are funding the war against terrorism, while militant groups continue to receive financial support from external sources.
Addressing political claims of being “powerless,” the DG ISPR dismissed such narratives as baseless. He said that a former prime minister who portrayed himself as powerless exercised significant authority, even making controversial historical claims. He firmly reiterated that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is the only Father of the Nation, and any attempt to distort this fact is unacceptable.
Concluding his remarks, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the fight against terrorism is a national war involving every citizen, not just the armed forces. He reaffirmed that the state has a constitutional and legal obligation to protect Pakistan and its people, adding, “We will win the war against terrorism with force and at all costs.”