Regular troops deployed at all border crossings: DG ISPR

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar said on Saturday that Pakistan has shut down all illegal crossing points with Afghanistan, and regular troops have been deployed at all borders.

"The objective for the fencing of the Afghan border is to stop the infiltration of militants from Afghanistan," he said during an interview with 92 News, adding that 90% of the work has been completed.

Talking about the growing number of militant attacks on security forces in Pakistan, he said that they are linked to Afghanistan's volatile situation. "These recent events definitely have a relation with the situation developing on the other side [in Afghanistan]. As a result of our operations, there is no organized terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and the leadership of all these networks is sitting across in Afghanistan and they have had the support of [Indian intelligence agency] RAW and India," DG ISPR explained.

Pakistan facilitator of Afghan peace process, not guarantor: DG ISPR

Describing the pace of Pakistan's counterterrorism operations, DG ISPR said that since May security forces across the country have conducted more than 7,000 intelligence-based operations.

Talking about the Afghan peace process, he said Afghans have to decide their future, adding that Pakistan is not a guarantor to the Afghanistan peace process.

“We are meticulously monitoring the regional situation and playing a sincere role in the Afghan peace process. We left no stone unturned in peace talks among all stakeholders of the peace process,” DG ISPR said.

Situation in Afghanistan is bad and out of Pakistan's control: Moeed Yusuf

He stressed that Pakistan's security forces are prepared to handle the security situation on its borders after the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan. “We have made all preparations and placed all security measures keeping in view the associated threats," he said.

Elaborating on these plans, he said security posts have been constructed, and a modern biometric system has been installed to prevent illegal border crossings.

"We have fought a long and trying war with terrorism and have gotten countless successes in it. We will not allow our hard-earned gains to be wasted," he said.

However, he warned that the risk of militants' sleeper cells remains in Balochistan. "We are very clear and have identified those agencies. The recent particular events also occurred due to it and indicate the risk,” he added.

Mentioning India's role in the Afghan peace process, he said that it is very visible that New Delhi is playing the role of a spoiler there.

Last week, he had said that if India had made its investments in Afghanistan with sincerity, they would have no need to be frustrated. "But because they were concentrating on using Afghanistan to harm Pakistan, they can see their entire investment sinking," he said.

A few days ago, Pakistan's National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf also expressed concern over the worsening situation in Afghanistan, stating that it was "extremely bad and out of Pakistan's control".

In his briefing to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, he warned of the impending risk of an attack by the Tehreek-i-Taliban, who, he said, could potentially enter Pakistan disguised as refugees.

However, he denied the presence of the Taliban in Pakistan as of now, terming reports as "Indian propaganda", and adding that "India is financially facilitating the propaganda and agencies have even made arrests in this regard".