Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that terrorist outfits were being provided “sanctuaries, support, and are allowed unrestrained activities on Afghan territory”.
The press conference takes place amid heightened security concerns, with a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces and other law enforcement agencies, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This is the fifth media briefing by the ISPR spokesperson this year.
Addressing the press conference today in Rawalpindi, Gen Chaudhry also touched upon Pakistan’s ties with Afghanistan, which Islamabad has demanded to take action against hideouts of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil.
“All evidence related to terrorism can be traced back to the safe havens enjoyed by terrorists in Afghanistan. The army chief has a clear stance on this: that organisations banned in Pakistan are provided sanctuaries, support, and are allowed unrestrained activities on Afghan territory,” he asserted.
“To eliminate the terrorist networks and keep our citizens safe, Pakistan will leave no stone unturned. According to the Western Border Management Regime, the work that is underway is near completion,” the DG ISPR stated.
“Everyone knows that Pakistan has wholeheartedly tried for peacekeeping in Afghanistan. Pakistan has played the most important role in the stability of Afghanistan,” Gen Chaudhry said, noting that Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for a long time.
“Pakistan has, on a state level, pointed out to the Afghan interim government that Fitna al Khawarij and various other terrorists from Afghan soil have continued terrorist activities in Pakistan,” he recalled.
He added that the repatriation of illegal Afghan citizens from Pakistan was underway. “From September 2023 till now, 815,000 illegal Afghan citizens have gone returned [to their Afghanistan].”
The ISPR official stated that the armed forces had cleared “72 per cent of the area in the tribal districts from minefields”. “Currently, mines and unexploded ordinances have been recovered.”
He said that on the instructions of the government, the Pakistan Army was playing its role in an underway crackdown against smuggling, drugs, electricity theft and hoarders.
“Different nationwide operations were carried out under a holistic strategy, following which there has been a significant decrease in illegal activities,” Gen Chaudhry asserted.
“After the imposition of the One Document Regime, illegal border crossings have significantly declined. There has also been a marked difference in the use of passports, and smuggling has also decreased,” he added.
Record-high terrorists killed in 2024
Gen Chaudhry said security forces conducted a total of 59,775 operations this year, noting that Pakistan has rendered a lot of sacrifices in its fight against terrorism.
“During these successful operations, 925 terrorists, including khawarij, were sent to hell while numerous were arrested,” he said, highlighting that the number of terrorists killed was the largest in the last five years.
In July, the government designated the banned TTP as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.
Gen Chaudhry said he would speak on “important matters of 2024, especially matters relating to national security, country’s defence in view of the changing regional situation, interior security, and counterterrorism efforts this year”.
He added he would also speak on the armed forces’ training exercises and steps taken for people’s welfare.
The ISPR official stated that “more than 179 operations” were being conducted on a daily basis by the Pakistan Army, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and the police.
Gen Chaudhry noted that during the security operations, the forces also successfully eliminated 73 “high-value targets, most-wanted terrorists”.
These, he said, included Fitna al Khawarij leader from Malakand Division Mian Syed urf Qureshi, Mohsin Qadir of Fitna al Khawarij’s Malakand Division, Attaullah urf Mehran who was involved in an attack on a diplomatic convoy in Swat, Fadaur Rehman urf Lal from Zhob Division, Ali Rehman and Abu Yahya.
He further said that “27 Afghan terrorists were also sent to hell”.
The DG ISPR said that during the counterterrorism operations, “383 brave officers and soldiers embraced martyrdom”, paying them tribute for sacrificing their lives for the country’s peace.
“We have no doubt that we will continue this war against terrorism until the death of the last khawarij,” he vowed.
According to the interior ministry, in the first 10 months of this year, 948 out of 1,566 terrorism incidents reported occurred in KP, resulting in 583 deaths (out of a total of 924 martyrdom).
On the counterterrorism front, 341 terrorists were killed in 2,801 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) during the same period, the interior ministry report said.
In a recent major attack, 16 soldiers were martyred last week when terrorists attacked a checkpost in Makeen in KP’s South Waziristan district, while eight terrorists were also killed as the armed forces responded.
In a subsequent intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the district, 13 terrorists were killed. The next day, another 13 terrorists were killed during three separate security operations in the province’s Bannu, North Waziristan and South Waziristan districts.
Counterterrorism efforts in Balochistan
Speaking on action taken against terrorism in Balochistan, the DG ISPR detailed that some high-value targets were eliminated in the region.
He said that “Baloch terrorists’ most-wanted leaders Sana urf Baro, Bashir urf Pir Jan, Niaz urf Gumman, Zareef Shah Jehan, Hazrat Ali urf Asad, Lak Jan Chakirabadi urf Sawara were also sent to hell”.
Terming it a major success, he highlighted that two suicide bombers-to-be — Insafullah urf Talha and Roohullah hailing from Afghanistan — were apprehended by security forces and “their evil intentions were thwarted”.
Gen Chaudhry noted that 10 suicide bombing jackets, and more than 250kg of explosives and weapons were recovered from the two.
Referring to statements made by Adeela Khudabaksh and Mahil Abdul Hamid — alleged women terrorists arrested from Balochistan — the DG ISPR said they both “revealed how terrorists brainwashed innocent people and were using the youth to rebel against the state”.
“Due to state institution’s excellent plan of action, 14 wanted terrorists put down their arms and joined the national mainstream, including Najeebullah urf Ustad urf Darwesh, Rasheed urf Tamash, and Fitna al Khawarij leader Naheed.”
Today’s press conference also comes amid recent developments in cases relating to the military’s self-accountability and action against suspects of last year’s May 9 riots.
In the past week, the military has also announced prison terms ranging from two to ten years for 85 civilians over countrywide violent protests on May 9 last year, which it says were coordinated by the PTI.
Earlier this month, former intelligence chief retired Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, whose arrest by the military was announced in August, was indicted on “charges of engaging in political activities”.
In his last press conference on September 5, the DG ISPR had noted that Field General Court Martial (FGCM) proceedings against Gen Hameed were initiated following a “detailed inquiry based on concrete evidence”.
On August 5, Gen Chaudhry had said that not enough was being done against “digital terrorism” under the law, allowing fake news and propaganda to spread in the country.
More to follow
