The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, firmly denied accusations from the Taliban regime. They alleged that Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan.
“Pakistan has not attacked Afghanistan,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said in a statement broadcast by state media on Tuesday. “The allegations of the interim Afghan government are baseless.”
His remarks came hours after Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of launching drone and air strikes in Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces. These strikes allegedly killed ten people.
Lt Gen Chaudhry clarified that Pakistan conducts all military operations transparently and never targets civilians. “We are a state and respond only as a state,” he emphasised. Also, he added that Pakistan follows strict principles in counter-terrorism operations. He reiterated that Pakistan’s actions target terrorism, not the Afghan people. Furthermore, he urged the Taliban administration to “act like a responsible state.”
“The Taliban government should not act like a non-state actor. How long will it remain interim?” he asked. “There is no good or bad Taliban in our view, and there is no distinction among terrorists.”
The ISPR chief also called for a ban on non-custom-paid vehicles. He noted that many terrorist attacks have involved such vehicles. The clarification followed a suicide attack on Monday at the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar, which killed three officers and injured 11 others.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,500-kilometre porous border, which remains both a trade lifeline and a source of security challenges. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to ensure that its soil is not used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups to launch attacks.
A UN Security Council report by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team recently confirmed Pakistan’s concerns. The report revealed links between the Taliban regime and the TTP, including logistical, operational, and financial support.
Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed said preliminary investigations indicated that the militants involved in the Peshawar attack were likely Afghan nationals. Investigators recovered photographs, fingerprints, and CCTV footage suggesting that “all three terrorists appear to be Afghan citizens,” the IG told reporters.
Updates on Faiz Hamid Trial
Lt Gen Chaudhry also addressed questions about the ongoing trial of former ISI chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid, urging restraint from speculation. “General Faiz Hamid’s trial is a legal matter, and no conjecture should be made,” the ISPR DG said.
Hamid faces court-martial for alleged political involvement and misuse of authority under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. He was arrested in August 2024 after a detailed military inquiry into the Top City housing society case. In this case, he was accused of land grabbing and misconduct.
The ISPR confirmed that multiple violations of the Army Act were found, including offences committed post-retirement. Three other retired officers were also taken into custody in connection with the same case.
