ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military spokesperson has said the country’s security is the responsibility of its own armed forces and not of Afghanistan, as tensions with Kabul rise over cross-border terrorist attacks.
Director General of Pakistan’s military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, expressed these views while briefing senior journalists.
He stated that Pakistan has never celebrated the arrival of the Taliban and emphasised that operations against militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), are underway.
The DG ISPR also dismissed the idea of a formal agreement with the United States regarding drone operations and confirmed that no official complaint has been received from the Taliban regime concerning such strikes.
Lieutenant-General Chaudhry told reporters that Pakistan’s armed forces are the guarantors of the nation’s security, a responsibility that cannot be delegated to Kabul.
He reiterated that Pakistan continues its counter-insurgency efforts against multiple militant organisations and stressed that operations against those targeting mosques and seminaries remain active.
Addressing questions on drone strikes, the military spokesperson stated that there is no formal agreement with the United States regulating such operations.
He added that during the Istanbul talks, Pakistani officials stressed that Afghanistan must not serve as a safe haven for terrorism and that Afghan authorities are responsible for controlling militants operating from their territory.
“In Istanbul, the Afghan Taliban were clearly told that they need to control terrorism,” Lt Gen Chaudhry stated. “How they do it is their job.”
He further noted that militants who have fled into Afghanistan during military operations should be handed over to Pakistan so they can be dealt with in accordance with the country’s constitution and laws.
The ISPR highlighted a close link between terrorism, organised crime, and the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, noting that these groups cultivate opium and generate revenue of 1.8–2.5 million rupees per acre.
According to the DG ISPR, this income is intertwined with warlords and elements of the Afghan Taliban, forming a regional network that funds and sustains violent activities.
He added that intelligence-driven operations have been carried out in areas where Pakistan has not launched full-scale offensives, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200 personnel.
On administrative matters, he clarified that the creation of posts within the army falls under the government’s purview, not military leadership, and that decisions regarding the imposition of federal rule are the responsibility of the federal government.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban regime have deteriorated last month amid cross-border clashes.
The latest hostilities began on 11 October, when the Afghan Taliban and their allied terrorist groups launched attacks on Pakistani positions from across the border.
Islamabad retaliated with strikes that killed more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists. Following days of escalating violence, a temporary ceasefire was agreed on 17 October at Kabul’s request.
The two sides first met in Doha for talks mediated by Qatar and Turkiye, which produced a limited truce.
The process was revived in Istanbul after Pakistan briefly announced that negotiations had “failed” and that its delegation was preparing to return home.
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban regime of allowing terrorist groups, including the TTP, to use Afghan territory to stage cross-border attacks.
