Major General Ahmed Sharif, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), briefed the Pakistani military’s dedication to eradicating terrorism and their respect for all political parties.
In his first briefing, Maj-Gen Sharif since he assumed his position as the head of the military’s media affairs wing. Maj-Gen Sharif began the briefing by addressing the situation on Pakistan’s eastern border with India and the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two countries. He stated that the LoC has been relatively peaceful since the restoration of the 2003 ceasefire agreement. However, he criticized India for its “fake propaganda” regarding infiltration and technical air violations, which he claimed were part of India’s special political agenda.
In contrast, Maj-Gen Sharif said that Pakistan had granted United Nations observers complete access to the LoC, while India had not reciprocated this level of transparency. He mentioned that Pakistan had organized 16 trips to the LoC in the past few days, which included the participation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation secretary-general and international media. India, on the other hand, had not organized any such visits.
Maj-Gen Sharif reported that India had violated the LoC ceasefire 56 times in the ongoing year, including three airspace violations, 22 incidents of speculative firing, six ceasefire violations, and 25 technical airspace violations. In response, he said, the Pakistan Army had shot down six spy quadcopters and was prepared to handle any further attempts by India.
Regarding the country’s western frontiers in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Maj-Gen Sharif acknowledged the efforts of security forces, police, and other law enforcement agencies in maintaining peace and foiling terrorist attempts. He assured that the armed forces were committed to ensuring border security in Pakistan, noting that security forces, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence agencies had taken significant measures in tracking down terrorist networks.
During the ongoing year, Maj-Gen Sharif reported 436 terrorist attacks in the country, resulting in 293 deaths and 521 injuries. To counter this, security forces conducted 8,269 intelligence-based operations, which led to the arrest or killing of 1,525 terrorists.
During the briefing, Maj-Gen Sharif also discussed socioeconomic development in the region. He mentioned the Reko Diq mining project in Balochistan as an essential milestone for the province’s development. He added that the Chief of Army Staff had recently visited Gwadar and ordered the reallocation of a portion of the army’s budget for development projects in the area. Furthermore, the military provided complete security for these projects to ensure their timely completion.
Finally, Maj-Gen Sharif addressed concerns about political involvement. He stated that the Pakistani military is a national army that respects all politicians and political parties, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a constitutional and non-political relationship with the government.
