- Lt-Gen Chaudhry says Indian army officers, afghan nationals involved in terrorism in Pakistan
- Says $7.2b US arms left in Afghanistan fuelling terrorism, blaming India for ‘every act of terrorism’ inside Pakistan
- Stresses Pakistan values its ties with Washington ‘very important,’ recalling US President’s leadership role during period of Pakistan–India tension
- Rules out any insurgency in Pakistan, saying there’s only India-backed terrorism and Majeed Brigade, TTP and BLA acting as key Indian ‘tools of terror’
RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to its “longstanding” ties with the United States, stressing that the country’s relations with “one state do not come at the cost of another.”
In an interview aired on Pakistani television channels on Friday—purportedly given to a German media outlet—the DG ISPR was asked about Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir’s recent visits to the US and whether they had helped “warm up” Islamabad-Washington ties.
Lt-Gen Chaudhry acknowledged the role of the US and then-President Donald Trump in mediating a ceasefire between Pakistan and India in May after a four-day escalation. “Over a period of time, we have been able to enhance and amplify our convergences [with the US] and deftly managed the divergences,” he said.
Key points from DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s exclusive interview to a foreign journal on 5 September:
🔳 #Pakistan hosted millions of Afghan refugees for 40 years. Measures have been taken in a very systematic manner for their dignified repatriation.
🔳 On… pic.twitter.com/5p4qHjC8DR— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) September 19, 2025
“There are areas where a lot can be done, areas where more engagement is possible,” he added, stressing that Pakistan considered its relationship with Washington “very important.”
Responding to a question about balancing ties, the military spokesperson clarified, “We don’t think these relationships have anything to do with either-or.” When the interviewer mentioned China, he continued—after a video cut—that “we, at the same time, have very constructive and strategic relations with China and other countries.”
The DG ISPR underlined counterterrorism as a key area for US-Pakistan cooperation, welcoming Washington’s recent designation of the Majeed Brigade—the suicide squad of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)—as a terrorist organization. Pakistan had already proscribed the Majeed Brigade on July 18, 2024.
Touching on concerns about US weaponry left behind in Afghanistan, Lt-Gen Chaudhry cited the recovery of American-made arms from militants involved in the November 4, 2023 attack on Mianwali airbase. “We share all this data with the Americans,” he said, describing the stockpile as “huge.”
Quoting a Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report, he said more than $7.2 billion worth of US equipment was left after the withdrawal of American and NATO forces.
On ties with India, he recalled the May clashes, noting, “On May 10, actually the fire ceased—it’s the ceasefire that happened, [but] the conflict endures.” He cited the Kashmir dispute, Indian “state-sponsored terrorism,” and the rise of “Hindutva extremism” as major irritants.
“Pakistan believes these issues need resolution,” he said, urging global powers—“especially players like the USA”—to intervene. “We have no doubt in our minds that behind each and every terrorist incident in Pakistan lies Indian support and abetment.”
He accused India of using Afghanistan as a base for operations, claiming that the TTP and BLA were currently its “main tools.” “Indians have a playbook of using terror as a tool of state,” he remarked.
Dismissing suggestions of an insurgency in Pakistan, Lt-Gen Chaudhry said, “There is no insurgency; the correct term is terrorism.” On Balochistan, he argued that only a fraction of the Baloch population actually resided in the province, saying numbers must be considered before discussing the issue.
On missing persons, he alleged that “half of these missing persons are part of the BLA” and claimed that many militants killed in Balochistan were later included in the list. He further contended that the number of missing persons was higher in Sindh and Punjab than in Balochistan.
