Afghan soil, Indian support driving terrorism in Pakistan: ISPR

rawalpindi
Pakistan’s chief military spokesperson on Tuesday accused militant groups operating from Afghanistan and alleged Indian support of fuelling terrorism inside Pakistan, saying the country faced an unprecedented security challenge in 2025.
Addressing a press conference, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said militant organisations were using Afghan territory as their operational base, while funding and support were coming from India.
Referring to what he described as new investment patterns linked to terrorism, Chaudhry said, “The most prominent pattern affecting Pakistan points towards India.” He added that Afghanistan remained the base of operations for militant groups targeting Pakistan.
The DG ISPR said a “war economy” was a major driver of terrorism. Citing reports, he said around $147 billion was spent on Afghanistan’s reconstruction, raising questions about where the money went. He said when such financial flows stopped, groups dependent on conflict sought to sustain themselves by spreading terrorism across the region.
He also said $7.2 billion worth of US military equipment, including advanced weapons, was left behind in Afghanistan, adding that political and internal facilitation had taken place during the same period. Pakistan, he said, took a firm stand against these elements in 2023.
Chaudhry said developments in Afghanistan since 2021 had reshaped the terrorism landscape. He referred to the Doha agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the United States and its international partners, which committed to forming an inclusive government, preventing the use of Afghan territory for terrorism and protecting women’s rights.
However, he said those commitments were not fulfilled. “An inclusive government did not form, Afghan territory was used by multiple terrorist organisations, and groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) began operating from Afghanistan,” he said.
He added that due to the situation in Syria, around 2,500 militants had recently moved to Afghanistan, saying they were neither Afghan nor Pakistani.
The military spokesperson said 2025 was a “landmark and consequential year in our fight against terrorism,” as security forces launched an extensive nationwide campaign amid a sharp rise in attacks.
“This is the only purpose of this press conference, and I would request that we remain focused on counter-terrorism, as terrorism is the biggest threat being faced by the state of Pakistan right now,” he said.
According to the DG ISPR, security forces conducted an average of more than 206 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) daily in 2025. By the end of the year, the total number of IBOs reached 75,175.
Most operations were carried out in Balochistan, where 58,778 IBOs were conducted. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa followed with 14,658 operations, while 1,739 took place in the rest of the country.
Chaudhry said 5,397 terrorist incidents were reported nationwide during the year. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the worst affected, with 3,811 incidents, accounting for 71% of the total. Balochistan recorded 1,557 incidents, or 29%, while only 29 incidents were reported elsewhere.
Security forces killed 2,597 militants during the year, including 1,803 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 784 in Balochistan, he said. A total of 27 suicide bombers were reported, with 16 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 10 in Balochistan.
The DG ISPR said Fitna-al-Hindustan – a term he used to refer to Baloch militant groups – had no connection with Balochistan. He added that security forces faced intense challenges, with 1,235 soldiers martyred during operations.