ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Saturday said that 206 terrorists have been killed in 4,910 intelligence-based operations conducted by the armed forces since November 4, 2025, saying administrative gaps and cross-border challenges have complicated the counterterrorism landscape.
He shared this data during a briefing with senior journalists on Saturday.
The DG ISPR apprised journalists that the armed forces have conducted 67,023 intelligence-based operations across the country during the current year.
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He added that 12,857 intelligence-based operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and 53,309 in Balochistan province, during which a total of 1,873 terrorists were killed this year, including 136 Afghans.
The DG ISPR said that misleading propaganda is being spread about security agencies regarding border management, noting that the Pak-Afghan border consists of extremely difficult terrain.
He stated that the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spans 1,229 km with 20 crossing points, adding that the distance between posts along the border ranges from 20 to 25 km.
He stressed that the border fence cannot be effective without proper observation.
Speaking about on-ground border management challenges, he said that unlike Punjab and Sindh, many villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are divided across the border, making the control of movement a major challenge.
He said that, globally, border management is carried out jointly by both countries.
However, in contrast, the Afghan Taliban completely facilitate the infiltration of terrorists from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
He said that an ineffective administrative structure in bordering areas has increased governance problems, as the strong political-terror-crime nexus in these regions is being facilitated by the Fitna al-Kharij.
He questioned, that If terrorist formations are coming from across the border, or if illegal smuggling and trade are taking place, then whose responsibility is it to stop them within the country.
He added, that if millions of non-customs-paid vehicles are roaming the province, then who is responsible for stopping them.
Non-customs-paid vehicles are part of this political-terror-crime nexus and are used in suicide attacks.
Speaking about the Doha Agreement, the DG ISPR said Pakistan’s position on the agreement with Afghanistan is very clear. Pakistan has asked the Afghan Taliban regime to stop facilitating terrorists.
“There are terrorist centers and leadership of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist organizations in Afghanistan,” he added.
He said Pakistan demanded a verifiable mechanism from the Taliban regime and stated that Pakistan would not object if such a mechanism were established by a third party. The DG ISPR said that the Afghan regime’s position on the Fitna al-Kharij is illogical, as they claim that these elements migrated from Pakistan and are now their guests.
“If they are Pakistani citizens, hand them over to us. We will deal with them according to our law,” he said.
Quoting the SIGAR report, he said that U.S. military equipment worth $7.2 billion was left in Afghanistan during the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
He added that the Afghan regime has become a threat not only to Pakistan but also to the entire region and the world.
The DG ISPR said Pakistan’s demand is clear that the Afghan Taliban should act like a responsible state.
He noted that in the Doha talks, the Afghan Taliban promised the international community that their territory would not be used for terrorism, but this commitment has not been fulfilled.
The DG ISPR further said that the Afghan Taliban regime is not representative of the Afghan people, as it does not include all ethnic groups.
He noted that representation for 50 percent of the Afghan population— women— does not exist in the current regime.
“We do not have an issue with Afghans. Our problem is with the Afghan Taliban regime,” he added.
Regarding the closure of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said the matter is directly linked to Pakistan’s security and the protection of lives and property, adding that bloodshed and trade cannot go together.
Sharing details about Afghan refugees, he said that under the dignified repatriation process, 366,704 people were repatriated in 2024 and 971,604 in 2025.
Similarly, 239,574 people were repatriated in November alone.
The DG ISPR said that India has a monopoly of leadership with a self-deceptive mindset, citing the statement of the Indian Army Chief claiming that they had shown a trailer during Operation Sindoor as an example of this flawed thinking.
“A trailer in which seven planes are shot down, 26 locations are attacked, and S-400 batteries are destroyed—if such a trailer were made into a movie, it would become a horror film for them,” he added.
He said the Indian government is issuing repeated false statements about the defeat in Operation Sindoor to quell public anger and resentment.
He stated that all governments and political parties in Pakistan agree on the National Action Plan as a solution to curb terrorism. A coordinated system has been developed in Balochistan to implement this plan, although such coordination is lacking in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Under this system, steering, monitoring, and implementation committees have been formed at the district, divisional, and provincial levels.
He said that the smuggling of Iranian diesel is one of the major causes of the illegal economy, as the money earned from this activity is used to promote terrorism.
Before the crackdown by the Army, FC, and the provincial government, 20.5 million liters of Iranian diesel were being smuggled daily and this has now reduced to 2.7 million liters per day.
The DG ISPR said that the money earned from smuggled Iranian diesel goes to the BLA and BRA.
He added that the provincial government and security forces in Balochistan are continuously engaging with local communities.
He; however, expressed concerns regarding the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s efforts in combating terrorism. He said the absence of governance in certain high-risk regions, stating that in some areas, including Tirah Valley, only 5–10 percent administration presence exists. “You will not find any administration in specifically terrorists’ prone areas”, he said. “There are no courts or government departments enforcing the state’s writ”.
He said that both internal administrative gaps and external cross-border challenges continue to complicate Pakistan’s counterterrorism landscape. “One is administrative issues in the hinterland, and then on the border you have populations across on both sides.”
He questioned the lack of internal control beyond the border areas, asking: “If terrorist groups and smugglers manage to cross the border, then who is responsible for the hinterland? Is that also the Army’s responsibility?”
“Where is the administration over there,” he asked, highlighting governance gaps. The DG ISPR further questioned the provincial government’s oversight regarding illegal vehicles: “If there are 4.5 lacs non-custom-paid vehicles moving in your province, why are they not being stopped? Who is responsible for checking them? Why is no action being taken? Whose responsibility is this?”
He said these non-custom-paid vehicles form a crucial part of the political-terror-crime nexus, and are frequently used in car bombings and terrorist movement within the province.
Telling the details of the non-kinetic counterterrorism efforts in Balochistan, Lt Gen Chaudhry said that following a crackdown, Iranian diesel smuggling had decreased by 210 percent, dropping from 20.5 million litres per day to 2.7 million litres per day. He added that 27 out of 36 Category B areas had been brought under police jurisdiction, covering 86 percent of the province’s population.
The DG ISPR also highlighted various development initiatives—such as the installation of tube wells, fishing and agriculture projects, water schemes, and dams—calling them key components of the non-kinetic points of the National Action Plan (NAP).
He said that combined engagement by the Balochistan provincial and district administrations, along with security forces, included 140 activities per day, such as school visits and sports initiatives. “This is a gradual, long-term effort being carried out in Balochistan, and it has far-reaching consequences. This is the real solution to terrorism—one that provincial and district governments must lead,” he noted.
The DG ISPR remarked, “We feel all of this is missing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” He added that while Balochistan also faces India-sponsored terrorism, the provincial government is at least actively combating it, and its “willingness is visible.”