RAWALPINDI: Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Choudhry, stated that 1,873 terrorists have been eliminated in Pakistan this year, including 136 Afghan nationals.
During a briefing with senior journalists on November 25, the DG ISPR said that a total of 67,023 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were conducted across the country, including 12,857 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 53,309 in Balochistan. Since November 4, 2025, 4,910 counterterrorism operations have been carried out, resulting in 206 terrorists being neutralized.
Addressing border management, Lt. Gen. Choudhry highlighted that misleading propaganda is often spread regarding Pakistan’s security measures along the Afghan border, which is challenging and difficult terrain.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa section spans 1,229 km with only 20 crossing points, and border posts are 20-25 km apart in some areas.
He emphasized that border fencing is ineffective unless covered by observation and fire support, noting that establishing forts and using drone surveillance would require significant resources.
Unlike Punjab and Sindh, villages on both sides of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border are split, making control of movement particularly challenging.
He stated that globally, border management is always a joint effort between neighboring countries. In contrast, the Afghan Taliban fully facilitate the infiltration of terrorists into Pakistan.
Examining areas along the Afghan border, the difficult terrain and lack of effective administrative structures exacerbate governance challenges. These border areas are dominated by a strong political-terror-crime nexus, with facilitation often carried out by Fatah-ul-Khawarij.
The DG ISPR emphasized that if terrorist formations, smuggling, or illicit trade originate across the border, who is responsible for stopping them inside the country? He added, “If millions of non-customed vehicles are moving freely within your province, who is stopping them? These non-customed vehicles are part of the political-terror-crime nexus and are often used in suicide attacks.”
Regarding the Doha Agreement, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s position, demanding that the Afghan Taliban regime stop facilitating terrorists. He also stated that terrorist centers and leadership of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other groups remain in Afghanistan, receiving weapons and funding used against Pakistan. Pakistan has presented evidence to Afghanistan, insisting on a verifiable mechanism to enforce the agreement.
Lt. Gen. Choudhry added that third-party verification of the mechanism would be acceptable, and that Pakistan’s position is well communicated to mediating countries.
He dismissed claims by the Taliban that terrorists from Fatah-ul-Khawarij are Pakistani guests as illogical and ungrounded.
