Pakistan Army committed to uprooting terrorism: DG ISPR

PESHAWAR: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that Pakistan is engaged in a determined fight against the scourge of terrorism and urged unity to uproot militancy from the country.

Speaking at a media briefing in Peshawar, the DG ISPR said his visit was intended to sit among the brave people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and pay tribute to the province’s contribution in the fight against terrorism.

He said more than 14,500 operations have been carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to him, the number of foreign fighters killed this year exceeds figures seen in the past decade.

DG ISPR blamed “deliberate planning” and the provision of safe spaces to militants and their facilitators for the persistence of terrorism.

He warned that pockets of political and criminal collusion have fueled violence in the province and stressed that no single person should be allowed to trade the state’s—and people’s—life, property and honour for personal gain.

He reiterated the army’s resolve to eliminate terrorism and called for collective action to “uproot the scourge” from its roots. He argued that while dialogue can resolve many issues, it is not a universal solution and cannot replace the need to defeat violent actors by force when required.

Referring to measures taken after the 2014 Army Public School attack, the DG ISPR said political and military leadership jointly formulated the National Action Plan (NAP).

He claimed that incomplete implementation of the NAP and the existence of militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan — allegedly backed by Indian support — have contributed to the continuing threat. He also said a significant quantity of weapons left behind after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan fell into militant hands.

Lieutenant General Chaudhry noted past decisions taken in 2014 and 2021 to strengthen the police and counter-terrorism institutions, praising the bravery of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s police while criticizing manpower shortfalls — saying the police strength was limited to only 3,200 in a cited context.

He added that the governance vacuum in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has often been filled at great cost by security forces and reiterated that the elimination of terrorism requires combined political will, tribal leadership cooperation and sustained security efforts.