Pakistan has not allowed US to attack Afghanistan from its soil: DG ISPR

India might stage false flag operation via sea route: Lt Gen Sharif

RAWALPINDI: Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday categorically rejected the Afghan Taliban regime’s allegation of allowing the US drones to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.

“This allegation is false,” said Lt Gen Chaudhry during a closed-door briefing to senior journalists, adding that Pakistan has not allowed the US to launch attacks on Afghanistan from its soil.

He said that the conditions set by Afghanistan hold no significance and only the elimination of terrorism matters to Pakistan.

The military’s spokesperson delivered a closed-door briefing to senior journalists belonging to select media outlets. “The conditions set by Afghanistan hold no significance,” Lt Gen Chaudhry told the journalists. “The important thing is the eradication of terrorism.”

He added that the guarantors of Pakistani security are the armed forces, not Afghanistan and that Islamabad has “never celebrated” the arrival of the Taliban. The military spokesperson further said that operations are underway against banned groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), with 1,667 terrorists killed.

“In Istanbul, the Afghan Taliban were clearly told that they need to control terrorism,” Lt Gen Chaudhry stated. “How they do it is their job. We conducted a counter-terrorism operation, and the terrorists fled to Afghanistan. Hand them over, we’ll deal with them according to the Constitution and the law.

“There will be no talks with terrorists, and Pakistan gave the Afghan Taliban a befitting response, which yielded the results we wanted.”

DG ISPR highlighted the role of the nexus between criminals and terrorist organisations, noting that through opium cultivation, terrorists make between Rs1.8 and 2.5 million per acre.

“The entire population joins them, even warlords join in, and they all work together,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

He added that drugs are being smuggled from Afghanistan into Pakistan and further. “Afghan drug smugglers are interfering in Afghan politics.”

The journalists were presented with evidence of Afghan Taliban soldiers involved in terrorism in Pakistan.

Pakistan and Afghanistan saw a worsening of ties during recent weeks, which featured border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations.

The hostilities began last month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of October 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Afghan Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan — an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.

“We suspect India may attempt a false-flag maritime operation,” the DG ISPR said, asserting that Pakistan was fully alert to such possibilities.

He also said that through the false flag operation, India would propagate a lie about a major strike on Pakistan.

The DG ISPR framed the military’s actions as defensive and targeted and vowed that Pakistan would act to protect its territorial security if necessary. Monitoring Desk