DG ISPR vows to tighten the noose around the terrorists and their facilitators, regardless of who they are
Says there is political & criminal nexus behind the terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Says all requirements of procedure, process & justice has to be met in former DG ISI Faiz Hameed’s case
PESHAWAR ( WEB NEWS )
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary has vowed to tighten the noose around the terrorists and their facilitators, regardless of who they are. He said that there is political and criminal nexus behind the terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that all the requirements of procedure, process and justice has to be met in former DG ISI Faiz Hameed’s case, adding that we are not worried about any delay is his because we have to fulfill due requirements of justice and process.
Addressing a news conference in Peshawar on Friday, DG ISPR said the entire nation stands like Bunyan-um-Marsoos against terrorists and their facilitators. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the current status quo will not persist. He said any individual or group facilitating the Khawarij, regardless of the reason, must either hand them over to the state, stand by the state in eliminating the scourge of terrorism to safeguard innocent lives, or be prepared to face decisive action from the state.
The Director General ISPR said the state of Pakistan, its armed forces and law enforcement agencies are the sole guarantors of the security of their people. He said security of the people of Pakistan cannot be mortgaged to any other country. He stressed that the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs to fulfill its responsibilities of protecting people of the province instead of begging Afghanistan for security. He said India is using Afghanistan as a base for terrorism inside Pakistan.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the armed forces are performing internal security duties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in accordance with the law and constitution. He said the martyrs are our pride and their sacrifices further our resolve in the fight against terrorism. He said the sacrifices of martyrs will not go in vain.
Responding to a question, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the Afghan authorities have time and again been asked to not allow the soil of Afghanistan to be used against Pakistan.
To another question, he said the armed forces are taking and will continue to take all necessary steps to protect lives of the people of Pakistan.
The DG ISPR strongly condemned the false and fabricated narrative targeting ongoing anti-terrorism operations and mocking the sacrifices of the armed forces, emphasizing that this reflects the malicious intent of political-criminal nexus. He firmly asserted that the state of Pakistan, its armed forces and institutions will remain unaffected by any form of political disruption. He said the state of Pakistan and its people will not and cannot be left to the whims of any single person who is singularly responsible for bringing terrorism back to Pakistan, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Alluding to the counter terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the DG ISPR mentioned that 14,535 intelligence based operations were carried out last year, killing 769 terrorists. He said five hundred and seventy-seven people including two hundred and seventy-two personnel of Pakistan Army and one hundred and ten of police embraced martyrdom.
The DG ISPR said ten thousand, one hundred and fifteen intelligence based operations have so far been carried out this year, which resulted in the killing of 917 terrorists. Five hundred and sixteen people including 311 brave officers and jawans of Pakistan Army and seventy-three of police embraced martyrdom.
Reaffirming the nation’s resolve to eradicate terrorism, the ISPR chief paid tribute to the people of KP for their unwavering courage in the fight against militancy.
“The people of KP are bravely fighting terrorism,” he said, adding that “the brave sons of the soil have written a glorious history of sacrifice and valour with their blood.”
Renewing the commitment to uproot terrorism, he said that Pakistan’s security forces, along with the nation, remain determined to ensure lasting peace and stability across the country.
Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that following the APS attack, the National Action Plan was devised with the approval of all stakeholders, adding that the plan has not been implemented in letter and spirit.
Providing a comprehensive insight into the menace of terrorism, he said that non-implementation of the NAP, politics on terrorism, use of Afghanistan as a base of operations by Indian proxies, terrorists possessing US weapons, and the terror-crime nexus were the five key factors behind it.
Shedding light on the governance issue, the military’s spokesperson noted that governance gaps in KP were being filled by the “blood of security personnel” and that the NAP, devised with the approval of all stakeholders, has not been implemented in letter and spirit.
He also criticised the “political thought” advocating for negotiations with terrorists instead of operations.
“It is absolutely clear who is building the narrative for dialogues with those who killed our children and played football with their heads,” he remarked.
Highlighting the judicial and legal lacunas and shortcomings in prosecuting the terrorists, he said that as of August 2025, not a single terrorist had been convicted, with 34 cases pending, and the number of CTD cases less than three years old stands at 2,878, whereas the number of pending cases more than three years old was 1,706.
It was decided in 2014 and 2021, and the CTD had to be strengthened to root out terrorism in KP. “Currently, the operational strength of the KP CTD is 3,200 […] is it enough?” He revealed that from January to August, there were 33,389 illegal weapons cases and 10,087 narcotics cases in KP. Arrests were made in thousands, yet conviction rates remained minimal.
“If we truly wish to eradicate terrorism, we must strengthen CTD and judicial systems,” he emphasised.