KEY POINTS
- Military spokesperson said Afghan Taliban forces use cross-border fire on Pakistani posts to help terrorists infiltrate through border gaps.
- He said the Pak-Afghan frontier remains difficult to secure due to divided tribes and easily breached border fencing.
- A “political-terror-crime nexus” was aiding infiltration and smuggling.
- Pakistan shared evidence of TTP safe havens in Afghanistan and is open to a third-party-verified pact on counterterrorism.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military spokesperson has said that Afghan Taliban fighters open unprovoked fire at Pakistani border posts to facilitate the infiltration of terrorists into the country as a coordinated pattern of attacks.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said this during a briefing with journalists on November 25, a video of which was released by the ISPR on Friday evening.
Military spokesperson Lt Gen Chaudhry said Afghan Taliban forces initiated unprovoked fire on Pakistani posts, triggering exchanges that created openings for terrorists waiting nearby.
“Borders are always mutually guarded. On the other side is such a country whose posts first engage your posts through fire, and an exchange begins. And then they have terrorists pass through the gaps in between,” the spokesperson said.
The DG ISPR said that the Pakistan-Afghan border was uniquely challenging due to divided tribes living on both sides. “There are 29 tribes which are divided. The population is here and there. How will you control the movement on the same border?” he asked.
Border control challenges
The spokesperson said physical barriers alone could not stop terrorists’ infiltration. He noted that border fences could be breached “within minutes” if not reinforced with surveillance and firepower.
To effectively secure the frontier, he said Pakistan required continuous drone surveillance, fortified posts every few kilometres, and large-scale investment in infrastructure and manpower.
“If someone wants to cut an obstacle or build a bridge, it may take only five minutes,” he said. “To counter that, you need forts every few kilometres and constant monitoring.”
He stated that only “five to ten per cent” of border areas had functional governance on the Pakistani side, particularly in remote regions such as Tirah in Khyber district.
“Go to Tirah, Khyber; you will not find any governance. Neither will you find any courts, nor any departments that deal with law enforcement and writ of the government,” he said.
Terror-crime nexus
Lt Gen Chaudhry said infiltration and smuggling were supported by a “political-terror-crime nexus” operating through local cells.
He said non-custom-paid vehicles were used by terrorists for movement and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.
“If there are 0.40-0.45 million non-custom-paid vehicles moving in your province, then why do you not stop them? Who is to stop them?” he asked.
He said terrorists used a similar strategy against army and Frontier Corps (FC) positions as they did during infiltration attempts. “They attack the posts and have smugglers’ vehicles pass from below,” he said.
Pakistan–Afghanistan relations
The ISPR chief said Pakistan’s issues lay with the Afghan Taliban government, not Afghan citizens. He said security concerns would override trade flows. “Blood and business cannot go together,” he said. “Our problem is with the Afghan Taliban regime.”
He said Pakistan had presented evidence of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) presence and activities inside Afghanistan during recent bilateral talks. “They could not deny that evidence,” he said.
He added that Pakistan was open to a third-party-verified agreement to counter cross-border terrorism.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the Afghan Taliban had failed to act like a state after taking power in 2021 and were now “patronising various non-state actors”.
He named TTP, Al Qaeda, Islamic State (Daesh), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and other terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan’s territory.
The military spokesperson also referred to a US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report stating that more than US$7.2 billion worth of military equipment was left behind by US forces in 2021.
Counter-terrorism operations
Lt Gen Chaudhry rejected Afghan Taliban allegations that Pakistan had carried out cross-border strikes earlier this week. “In our view, there is only one sort of terrorist which is good, which is a dead terrorist,” he said.
The ISPR DG said Pakistan carried out 67,023 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country this year. More than 53,000 were conducted in Balochistan and over 12,800 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
He said 1,873 terrorists were killed this year, including 136 Afghan nationals. Between 4 November and the date of the briefing, security forces conducted 4,910 IBOs — an average of 233 per day — killing 206 terrorists.
Pakistan recorded 4,729 terrorist incidents since January, including 3,357 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,346 in Balochistan provinces.
Afghan repatriations
Under Pakistan’s repatriation plan for undocumented foreigners, Lt Gen Chaudhry said 971,604 Afghans had been sent back in 2025 so far, including 239,574 in November alone. Another 366,704 were repatriated in 2024.
He said about 86 per cent of Balochistan’s population — categorised as “Category B areas” — had been placed under police jurisdiction.
A total of 949 development projects had been identified across 35 districts, including major water infrastructure schemes. Fifty-two projects had been completed.
He said Iranian diesel smuggling had been sharply reduced from 20.5 million litres per day — legally permitted or smuggled — to about 2.7 million litres after a crackdown by the army, FC and provincial government.
India remarks dismissed
Lt Gen Chaudhry dismissed recent comments by India’s army chief as “exaggerated and misleading”.
He referred to the Indian claim of showing Pakistan a “trailer of Operation Sindoor”. “Seven jets were down, 26 locations were attacked, and the S-400 batteries were destroyed in that ‘trailer’,” he said. “I think he is fond of watching horror films.”
He said India sought to “sell its defeat as a victory” to its domestic audience.
Governance gaps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The spokesperson said political and administrative engagement with communities was crucial to defeating terrorism.
He said authorities were supposed to hold 140 daily engagements with local populations — including jirgas and school visits — but believed this work was missing in KP.
He added that 949 development projects were under way in 35 districts as part of broader stabilisation efforts, alongside initiatives such as the Green Balochistan programme.
Authorities continue to monitor social media accounts used to incite violence from abroad, he said, noting that some accounts posting on Balochistan were based outside Pakistan.
The ISPR spokesperson said all political parties agreed that the National Action Plan remained the framework for tackling militancy.
