PTI undermining counterterror operations, seeking Afghan support: DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is resisting counterterrorism efforts and seeking assistance from Afghanistan, as he linked the sharp rise in militancy to a politically conducive environment for terrorist groups.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the military’s spokesperson said the briefing aimed to present a comprehensive overview of counterterrorism measures taken during 2025, which he described as a “landmark and consequential year” in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism.

KP under fire

Lt Gen Chaudhry said nearly 71 percent of all terrorist incidents reported nationwide in 2025 occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, making it the most affected province in the country. Of the 5,397 terror incidents recorded across Pakistan last year, 3,811 were reported from KP, followed by 1,557 in Balochistan and 29 in other parts of the country.

He said the primary reason behind the concentration of attacks in KP was a “politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror nexus” in the province. Citing an annual report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, the ISPR chief noted that fatalities in KP rose from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of more than 40 per cent.

Political-terror nexus

The ISPR DG came down hard on the PTI leadership in KP, alleging that the provincial government was resisting counterterrorism efforts at multiple forums while simultaneously seeking support from Afghanistan.

“The PTI government is seeking help from Afghanistan and is resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said, criticising the KP chief minister’s opposition to military operations and calls for Afghan security guarantees.

He dismissed remarks against counterterror operations as “ridiculous”, questioning what alternative the provincial leadership proposed. Referring to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, designated by the state as Fitna al-Khawarij, he asked whether militants should be appeased or rewarded with political authority.

Linking governance issues to security failures, Lt Gen Chaudhry said illegal mining was taking place in KP and that the unchecked spread of illegal weapons was directly feeding terrorism in the province.

Turning to regional dynamics, the ISPR chief said Afghanistan had become the centre of terrorist operations in the region, alleging that multiple militant groups were operating from Afghan soil.

He said Afghan Taliban forces had attacked Pakistani border posts, prompting a strong response from Pakistan. According to Lt Gen Chaudhry, Islamabad targeted militant positions along the Afghan border in October 2025, eliminating dozens of hostile posts within hours. He clarified that the operations were directed against the TTP and not the Afghan Taliban as an organisation.

Recalling the 2020 Doha Agreement, he said the Afghan Taliban had committed to preventing the use of Afghan soil for terrorism, forming an inclusive government and ensuring women’s rights. He maintained that these commitments had not been fulfilled, adding that Afghanistan remained a stronghold of Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.

He further alleged that the nexus between militant groups and India became fully exposed in 2025, posing a serious threat to regional peace and security. He claimed India was providing financial and logistical support to terrorists operating against Pakistan, while Afghan territory served as their base of operations.

Nationwide counterterror push

Detailing counterterrorism efforts in 2025, Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations nationwide, averaging 206 operations per day. Of these, 14,658 were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan and 1,739 in the rest of the country.

He said 2,597 terrorists were killed during these operations, while 1,235 law enforcement personnel and civilians were martyred. He added that 27 suicide attacks took place last year, including 16 in KP, 10 in Balochistan and one in Islamabad, with two involving female suicide bombers.

The ISPR chief said Afghan militants were involved in ten major terror attacks during the year, all deliberately targeting civilians and soft targets. Among them was the Jaffar Express attack, in which 21 civilians were martyred, attacks on a civilian bus in Noshki, and an assault on the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta that resulted in the deaths of eight civilians. He said Afghan attackers were also behind a similar attack on the FC headquarters in Peshawar and an attempted assault on Cadet College Wana aimed at replicating the 2014 APS Peshawar attack.

During the briefing, video confessions of arrested militants were played, which Lt Gen Chaudhry said provided clear evidence of where terrorists operated and how attacks were planned.

Rejecting claims that the Pakistan Army used drones to target civilians, he said drones were primarily used for surveillance. He accused militant groups of deploying armed quadcopters with external support and said terrorists frequently used mosques, public spaces and residential homes, often employing women and children as human shields.

Describing the fight against terrorism as a national war, the ISPR DG stressed that Pakistan made no distinctions among terrorists and had no sympathy for any militant group. He rejected the notion that counterterrorism was solely the army’s responsibility, saying it was a collective struggle involving the entire nation.

He also warned that social media was increasingly being used to promote terrorism and criminal activity, stressing the need for enforcement of laws to protect society and ensure the full implementation of the Constitution across Pakistan.