PESHAWAR — Pakistan’s military has issued a stark warning about the resurgence of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), alleging that militants and their facilitators were “deliberately provided space” under a planned scheme involving political and criminal elements.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Corps Headquarters, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the province’s deteriorating security was being paid for “with the blood of security personnel,” citing a dangerous nexus between governance failures and militant activity.
Five Key Drivers of Militancy
Lt Gen Chaudhry identified five major factors fueling terrorism in Pakistan:
- Incomplete implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP)
- Politicisation of counter-terror efforts
- India’s alleged use of Afghan territory for anti-Pakistan operations
- Availability of modern weapons and safe havens in Afghanistan
- A local political-criminal-militant nexus
He emphasized that the people of KP were bearing the brunt of this crisis, while security forces continued to operate under extreme conditions.
Operations and Casualties
- In 2024, over 14,500 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were conducted in KP, resulting in 700+ terrorist deaths and 577 martyrs, including 272 army personnel.
- In 2025, up to mid-September, 10,115 IBOs neutralized 917 terrorists, with 516 lives lost, including 311 soldiers.
“The scale of our daily operations — forty intelligence-based raids a day — reflects our resolve,” said Chaudhry.
Afghan Factor and Regional Threats
The DG ISPR accused India of exploiting Afghan soil to orchestrate attacks in Pakistan. Between 2024 and 2025, 161 Afghan nationals involved in terrorism were killed, and 135 foreign militants were eliminated during cross-border infiltration attempts. At least 30 suicide attackers were Afghan citizens.
He reiterated Pakistan’s demand that Afghanistan must not be used as a base for terrorism, calling the request “rational and just.”
Governance and Judicial Gaps
Chaudhry criticized the lack of governance in KP, noting that the province’s police force had only 3,200 personnel. He also highlighted judicial shortcomings, revealing that no terrorist convictions had occurred as of August 2025, despite thousands of cases.
He lamented the failure to fully implement the NAP, originally devised after the 2014 Army Public School attack, and said the revised framework — “Vision Istehkam” — still lacked execution.
Rejecting Dialogue with Militants
Condemning calls for negotiations with terrorists, Chaudhry said, “Are we to talk to those who killed our children and played football with their heads?” He warned that appeasement is not a policy, and facilitators of terrorism would face decisive action.
International Engagement
Pakistan will continue diplomatic efforts with Afghanistan, as well as partners like Saudi Arabia, UAE, China, Turkey, and the United States, to curb cross-border militancy. “Every kind of non-state actor exists in Afghanistan — from TTP to IS-K and BLA. They fight for money, not ideology,” he added.
Nation’s Resolve
Lt Gen Chaudhry concluded by reaffirming the armed forces’ commitment to internal security and constitutional duty. “The Pakistani nation stands united like a solid wall against terrorists. Our martyrs’ blood will never go in vain.”
He stated that the Pakistan Army is determined to eradicate terrorism. He said that Pakistan has been battling terrorism for more than two decades, and along with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, they will root out terrorism from the region.
He explained that 40 intelligence-based operations are being conducted daily, and 14,535 operations have been carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Over the past two years, around 30 suicide bombers, who were linked to Afghanistan, have been killed.
DG ISPR said that in 2024, 14,535 operations were conducted in KP, in which 769 terrorists were killed. In these operations, 577 precious lives were lost, including 272 brave officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, 140 police officers, and 165 innocent civilians.
He further mentioned that in 2025, 40 intelligence-based operations were carried out daily, resulting in the death of 917 terrorists. During these operations, 516 people were martyred, including 311 soldiers of the Pakistan Army, 73 police officers, and 132 civilians.He added that
after the APS incident in 2014, law enforcement agencies adopted a coordinated strategy and began to root out terrorism, but terrorists and their facilitators were “given space as part of a well-thought-out plan”.
He stated that the reasons for the increase in terrorism include the incomplete implementation of the National Action Plan, the existence of terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, and India’s use of Afghanistan as a base for terrorism, which is also a major cause of terrorism.
