RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Tuesday strongly criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, holding it responsible for the sharp rise in terrorism in the province.
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Addressing a press briefing, the military spokesperson said nearly 71% of all terrorist incidents reported in 2025 occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attributing the situation to a “politically conducive environment” and the growth of what he termed a political-criminal-terror nexus.
Citing data from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Lt Gen Chaudhry noted that fatalities in KP rose by more than 40% year-on-year, increasing from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025.
He criticised the KP government’s stance against counterterrorism operations and dismissed calls for negotiations and security guarantees from Afghanistan, questioning opposition to military action. “If you do not want an operation, then what should be done — sit at the feet of khawarij?” he asked, rejecting what he described as misleading political narratives.
The ISPR chief said Afghanistan had become the regional hub of terrorist activity, alleging a growing nexus between militant groups, India, and Afghan soil. He stated that Pakistan had delivered a “hard message” after Afghan border posts attacked Pakistani positions and reaffirmed that Islamabad targeted terrorists, not the Afghan state.
Providing details of counterterrorism efforts in 2025, Lt Gen Chaudhry said security forces conducted more than 75,000 intelligence-based operations nationwide, killing 2,597 terrorists. Of the 5,397 terror incidents reported last year, over 3,800 occurred in KP and more than 1,500 in Balochistan.
He said Afghan militants were involved in all major attacks during the year, including the Jaffar Express attack and assaults on Frontier Corps installations. Video confessions of arrested terrorists were also shown during the briefing.
Stressing that terrorism is a national challenge, the ISPR DG said the fight against militancy was not just the army’s war but a collective struggle of the entire nation. He reiterated that Pakistan makes no distinction among terrorist groups and would continue decisive action to safeguard national security.
