RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Tuesday said that 2025 proved to be a landmark and consequential year in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism, marked by unprecedented intensity in counter-terrorism operations across the country.
Addressing a press conference, the military spokesperson said the sole purpose of the briefing was to present a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken during the past year, stressing that terrorism remains the biggest threat facing the State of Pakistan.
“This is the only purpose of this press conference, and I would request that we remain focused on counter-terrorism,” he said, adding that the fight against terrorism has been a national struggle for more than two decades.
Providing detailed statistics, Lt Gen Chaudhry said that a total of 5,397 terrorist incidents were recorded across Pakistan in 2025. Of these, 3,811 incidents, accounting for 71 percent occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by 1,557 incidents, or 29 percent, in Balochistan. Only 29 incidents were reported in the rest of the country.
He further stated that security forces conducted a total of 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) during the year. Of these, 14,658 were carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other parts of Pakistan.
Presenting data titled “Kinetics of Counter-Terrorism Effort in the Last Five Years,” the DG ISPR noted that terrorist incidents had risen sharply from 761 in 2021 to 5,397 in 2025, underscoring the scale of the threat faced by the country.
The DG ISPR reiterated that the fight against terrorism belongs to the entire nation and stressed that clarity regarding the identity of terrorist elements had fully emerged among both the state and the people.
“These terrorists are Khwarij. They have nothing to do with Islam, and they must be eliminated,” he said, adding that they are also referred to as Fitna-al-Hindustan, highlighting India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation inside Pakistan.
Turning to the regional situation, Lt Gen Chaudhry strongly criticised the Afghan authorities for failing to honour commitments made under the Doha Agreement following the change of power in Afghanistan in 2021.
“They promised an inclusive government, assured that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism, and committed to safeguarding women’s rights. Unfortunately, none of these promises have been fulfilled,” he said.
He added that while Afghanistan is home to diverse ethnic communities, the current government does not reflect inclusivity, a factor contributing to instability and security challenges for the region, particularly Pakistan.