1,016 Militants Killed In 47,900 Operations As Pakistan Links Illegal Afghan Presence To Terror

Pakistan Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry has revealed that concrete evidence establishes the involvement of illegally residing Afghan nationals in terrorism and organized crime within Pakistan, while also exposing regional threats contributing to the country's instability.

In an exclusive interview with a leading German magazine, the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) outlined Pakistan's comprehensive counterterrorism efforts and called for greater international accountability to address cross-border militancy.

Lt Gen Chaudhry disclosed that 1,016 militants have been eliminated and 47,900 counterterrorism operations conducted so far in 2025, averaging nearly 190 operations per day. Despite the scale of these efforts, new terrorist attacks continue to emerge, which he said indicates the existence of sustained sanctuaries across the Afghan border.

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He further reported that 762 Pakistanis, including nearly 300 civilians, have lost their lives in the ongoing campaign against terrorism, highlighting the heavy human cost of the conflict.

Addressing the issue of illegally residing Afghan nationals, Lt Gen Chaudhry stated that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghans over the past four decades on humanitarian grounds, despite economic and security challenges. He said that while Pakistan has repeatedly extended deadlines for repatriation, it is now pursuing an orderly and dignified return process. He warned that credible evidence shows some illegal Afghan residents are involved in acts of terrorism and serious crime, posing a direct threat to national security.

He added that the original reasons for Afghan asylum, including foreign occupation and civil war, no longer exist, and thus there is no justification for their continued illegal stay.

The DG ISPR emphasized that the threat is not entirely domestic. According to Pakistani intelligence, Afghanistan has become a base of operations for banned militant outfits targeting Pakistan. He said groups involved in attacks inside Pakistan continue to exploit cross-border spaces to regroup and plan further violence.

Lt Gen Chaudhry also expressed concern over the misuse of Afghan territory by hostile networks and noted that international awareness of this issue is growing. He cited the recent U.S. designation of the Majeed Brigade as a global terrorist entity and referred to a Russian intelligence report estimating that more than 23,000 foreign terrorists from over 20 transnational groups are operating within Afghanistan. He said the United Nations and other key stakeholders have also voiced similar concerns.

Pakistan, he stated, has issued a clear message to the Afghan Taliban administration: act decisively against all terrorist groups or risk isolation. Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan, is expected to visit Kabul to convey this position formally.

On regional tensions, Lt Gen Chaudhry pointed to destabilizing policies by neighboring states and stated that elements hostile to Pakistan have consistently attempted to exploit instability for strategic gains. He said Pakistan has repeatedly presented documented evidence to international forums exposing such interference.

He also highlighted the misuse of disinformation, including efforts to label neutralized militants as "missing persons" to defame Pakistan's security forces. These tactics, he said, are part of a broader campaign to undermine Pakistan's sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism.

Turning to Kashmir, the DG ISPR urged the international community to fulfill its moral and legal responsibility by facilitating a just resolution to the long-standing dispute. He said peace and stability in South Asia would remain elusive without addressing the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Concluding the interview, Lt Gen Chaudhry reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens.

“Pakistan has stood firm in the fight against terrorism, made the greatest sacrifices, and will never allow hostile forces, internal or external, to succeed in undermining its sovereignty. Our commitment to a secure, peaceful, and prosperous region remains unwavering.”

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