DG ISPR: 206 Terrorists Eliminated in 4,910 Operations Since Nov 4 as Pakistan Confronts Intensifying Cross-Border Threats
Pakistan’s security forces have conducted 4,910 intelligence-based operations since November 4, resulting in the elimination of 206 terrorists, according to a detailed briefing by ISPR Director General Lt-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. Speaking in an interactive session with senior journalists, the DG ISPR outlined the country’s evolving security landscape, cross-border challenges and ongoing counterterrorism measures.
General Chaudhry revealed that a total of 67,023 operations have been carried out nationwide this year alone, including 12,857 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 53,309 in Balochistan. He emphasized that Pakistan faces unique security challenges due to the rugged and porous nature of the Pak-Afghan border, where KP alone shares 1,229 kilometers of frontier with Afghanistan and has 20 crossing points. In some areas, he noted, border posts are separated by as much as 20 to 25 kilometers, making surveillance and control difficult without extensive resources.
The DG ISPR acknowledged the complications stemming from villages straddling the border in KP and Balochistan, unlike Punjab and Sindh. This geographical reality, he said, makes monitoring movement across the border a major challenge. He added that Afghanistan’s lack of administrative structure in adjacent regions further worsens governance issues.
General Chaudhry accused the Afghan Taliban of facilitating militant infiltration into Pakistan, stating that sanctuaries for Al-Qaeda, Daesh and TTP exist across the border. He stressed that Pakistan has provided undeniable evidence to Kabul and reiterated the demand for a formal mechanism to address cross-border militancy, even if mediated by a third party. He rejected the Taliban’s stance that TTP fighters in Afghanistan are merely “guests,” saying that if they are Pakistanis, they must be handed over for prosecution.
Highlighting international concerns, he warned that weapons left behind by the US—valued at $7.2 billion—pose a global threat as they continue to fall into terrorist hands.
On domestic issues, the DG ISPR said the income from Iranian diesel smuggling has historically funded terrorism. A crackdown has reduced smuggling from 20.5 million litres per day to 2.7 million litres. Implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) is progressing in Balochistan, where police have been deployed in 27 districts, covering nearly 80 percent of the province. He noted that a similar mechanism is lacking in KP and needs urgent attention.
Commenting on India, General Chaudhry called the Modi government a “victim of self-deception,” referring to claims about Operation Sindoor. He asserted that seven Indian jets were downed and multiple military sites targeted, questioning the credibility of New Delhi’s narrative.
He further said that arms supplied to the Afghan Taliban “will end up in terrorists’ hands,” warning regional actors to reconsider their policies. On the information front, General Chaudhry criticized social media accounts and YouTubers operating from abroad for spreading anti-state propaganda that influences public perception.
The DG added that 239,574 Afghan refugees were repatriated in November with dignity. Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance, he stated that the country has no dispute with the Afghan people but expects the Taliban to honor their commitments under the Doha Agreement.
