RAWALPINDI; Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has warned that India may be planning a “false flag” operation in the maritime domain. He issued the warning during a closed-door briefing for senior journalists on Monday.
The warning came as India announced its ‘Trishul’ military exercise scheduled for early November, involving the Indian Navy, Army, and Air Force.
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif said Pakistan was fully prepared to respond to any act of aggression. “Let India do whatever it wants — on land, at sea, or in the air. India must know this time the response will be far more severe,” he declared.
He informed that Pakistan’s armed forces had intensified operations against militants belonging to “Fitna-al-Khawarij” — a term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — resulting in the killing of 1,667 terrorists this year. Over 62,113 operations were conducted, with 582 soldiers martyred, most of them in Balochistan.
Regarding Afghanistan, DG ISPR dismissed the preconditions set by Kabul for peace talks, stressing that “only the elimination of terrorism matters.” He said the Afghan Taliban had been clearly told during talks in Istanbul that they must curb cross-border terrorism. “We conducted counter-terrorism operations, and terrorists fled to Afghanistan. Hand them over — we’ll deal with them according to law. There will be no negotiations with terrorists,” he said firmly.
Lt Gen Sharif revealed that during recent clashes, 206 Afghan Taliban fighters and 112 Khawarij militants were killed. “The TTP has pledged allegiance to the Emir of the Afghan Taliban and functions as its branch,” he added.
Senior journalist Hamid Mir, who attended the session, said that journalists were shown evidence of Afghan Taliban soldiers involved in terrorism inside Pakistan — the same evidence shared earlier with the Taliban in Doha.
The DG ISPR also highlighted the growing nexus between crime and terrorism, noting that terrorists earn millions through opium cultivation — between Rs1.8 and 2.5 million per acre — and collect funds under the name of ushr. He warned that Afghan drug smugglers are not only financing terrorism but also influencing Afghan politics. “If anyone has developed affection for Afghanistan, they are welcome to live there,” he remarked pointedly.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deepened in recent weeks, with multiple border clashes since October 11, when militants attacked Pakistan from Afghan territory. Despite denials from Kabul, Islamabad maintains that terrorist groups continue to use Afghan soil.
The two sides met in Doha and later in Istanbul, agreeing on a temporary ceasefire and plans to form a mechanism to ensure long-term peace. Türkiye and Qatar played key roles in facilitating the dialogue between the two countries.
