DG ISPR Doubts KP Government’s Willingness to Counter Terrorism
RAWALPINDI: In a significant security briefing that underscored the growing concerns about Pakistan’s internal and external challenges, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said on Saturday that the military has “serious reservations” about the provincial administration’s commitment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stating that DG ISPR doubts KP government’s willingness to counter terrorism amid escalating militant activity in the region. The remarks came during an interaction with senior journalists in which he addressed the broader counterterrorism landscape, border management complexities, and regional threats, particularly those stemming from Afghanistan.
Lt Gen Chaudhry provided a comprehensive breakdown of the ongoing operations, revealing that 4,910 intelligence-based operations had been carried out since November 4, an average of 233 operations daily as the security forces intensified their nationwide efforts. Within this period, he said, security personnel had killed 206 terrorists, adding that the momentum was a reflection of the seriousness of the threat as well as the military’s determined response. He shared further data extending back to January, stating that 67,023 IBOs had been conducted across Pakistan, with Balochistan accounting for more than 53,000 operations, followed by over 12,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and around 850 in other regions.
The DG ISPR noted that Pakistan had witnessed 4,729 terrorist incidents this year alone, including 3,357 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,346 in Balochistan and 26 in the remaining parts of the country. He stressed that the numbers reflected an upward trend that required urgent administrative and political intervention alongside kinetic operations. It was in this context that DG ISPR doubts KP government’s willingness to counter terrorism, remarking that persistent administrative voids and a lack of governance had allowed militant groups to operate with relative ease in certain high-risk districts.
On border management, Lt Gen Chaudhry addressed the rising public debate over how militants continue to infiltrate through the Pakistan–Afghanistan border despite the deployment of Frontier Corps and Army troops. He explained that the terrain, comprising rugged mountains and snow-covered fences, made security operations extraordinarily difficult. He emphasised that a border fence, without coordinated surveillance and fire support, had limited impact, stating that it could be breached within minutes in the absence of reinforced monitoring. He added that even global powers struggled to secure vast borderlands, noting, “Even the United States has not been able to hermetically seal its border with Mexico.”
The DG ISPR said the border region was inhabited by dozens of tribes whose traditional movements spanned both sides, complicating strict control. He said that Pakistan had observed Afghan Taliban border posts opening fire on Pakistani positions to facilitate the infiltration of militants, adding that this pattern had become a significant challenge for security agencies. He also highlighted the absence of state presence in certain localities, especially in the Tirah Valley, where he said only 5 to 10 percent of administrative structures were functional. “You will not find any administration in specifically terrorist-prone areas,” he said, calling attention to the lack of courts and government departments enforcing the state’s writ.
He further added that networks such as Fitnah Al-Khawarij continued to support terror-linked criminal cells operating inside Pakistan, creating a dual-layer threat involving both domestic facilitators and cross-border elements. Against this backdrop, the DG ISPR reiterated that the combination of internal governance gaps and external pressures had intensified the complexity of Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts. His comments, particularly where DG ISPR doubts KP government’s willingness to counter terrorism, signal growing friction between national and provincial structures at a time when the country faces a resurgence in militant attacks.
