RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said that the Pakistan Army does not believe in punishing entire communities for the actions of a single terrorist.

“The Army has no interest in taking innocent lives under the guise of counterterrorism,” he stressed.

He made these remarks during a special interactive session with students, where he also responded to questions raised by youth from Balochistan.

DG ISPR said that misconceptions are deliberately spread suggesting that the people and youth of Balochistan are detached from Pakistan.

“In reality, the people of Balochistan clearly understand the bond between the province and the country,” he stated.

Paying tribute to Major Muhammad Anwar Kakar Shaheed, he described him as an “outstanding officer and a proud son of the soil.” He recalled that Major Kakar had previously eliminated several terrorists in the Gwadar attack and embraced martyrdom while defending the nation.

“Every day, our officers, soldiers, and citizens lay down their lives to keep Pakistan free,” the DG ISPR remarked.

He has emphasized that military operations against terrorism can only succeed when the local population itself identifies and rejects terrorists.

“It is not the Army’s approach to forcibly evacuate an area and conduct operations, because once the Army leaves, terrorists could return,” he explained.

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that counterterrorism operations must be conducted with great care and wisdom, which is why the Army relies on intelligence-based operations.

He emphasized that the Pakistan Army has no interest in taking the lives of innocent civilians under the pretext of fighting terrorism, reiterating that its sole focus is on eliminating terrorists and their networks.

He said that the Pakistan Army will continue to work closely with the people and administration of Balochistan to eliminate terrorism.

He stressed that terrorists, their facilitators, and planners must be brought to justice. “The actions of a single terrorist cannot be used as grounds to punish an entire village or community,” he said.

However, he warned that any citizen found sheltering terrorists or storing explosives in their homes would have to face the consequences.

DG ISPR underlined the cultural and ethnic diversity of Balochistan, noting that the province is home not only to Baloch but also to a large Pashtun population.

“More than 30 percent of Balochistan’s population consists of Pashtuns, while many Baloch tribes also live in Sindh and southern Punjab,” he said.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s ideological foundation, he added: “Pakistan means La ilaha illallah. This belief is deeply rooted within you, because Pakistan was created on the basis of the Kalima.”