Pakistan Army Vows No Negotiation With Terrorists

Peshawar, Oct 10 (PTI) The Pakistan Army issued a strong warning against engaging with terrorists, emphasizing their refusal to negotiate with militants in tackling the country's militancy issue.

During a media briefing in Peshawar, Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry highlighted a deliberate strategy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that allowed terrorists to gain ground, adversely affecting both the public and law enforcement agencies.

He elaborated on the rise of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, presenting data that showed an increase in militancy since 2021, following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul.

Chaudhry cited the failure to fully implement the National Action Plan (NAP) to eliminate terrorism as a significant reason for the current wave of militancy. The NAP, first formulated in 2014 after the terrorist attack on an army school in Peshawar, contained 20 points aimed at eradicating militancy. It was revised in 2021 with 14 points to tackle the issue further.

“The primary point emphasizes using force to eliminate militants, but it is just one aspect of employing kinetic force to combat terrorism,” he explained. The remaining points involve broader approaches to dealing with militancy.

Chaudhry stated that implementing the additional points, such as enhancing law and order, developing a narrative, prosecuting militants, and deporting illegal aliens, was the provincial government and local administration's responsibility.

He criticized the governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging that it was intentionally weakened, leaving the local populace vulnerable. He also pointed fingers at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, which governs the province.

The general presented statistics, noting that 14,535 operations were conducted in 2024, resulting in the deaths of 769 militants and 577 security personnel and civilians, including 272 army troops, 140 police officers, and 165 civilians.

By September 15, 2025, an additional 10,115 operations had taken place, causing the deaths of 917 terrorists, alongside 516 soldiers and civilians, comprising 303 army members, 73 police officers, and 132 civilians.

The army spokesman emphasized that the current number of operations and adversaries eliminated indicated active pursuit by security forces. However, he pointed out that the lack of governance had facilitated militancy.

He also criticized Afghanistan for not eliminating terrorist havens and mentioned that Pakistan has been engaging with them at various levels to curb cross-border terrorism.

Chaudhry accused Afghan nationals of being involved in acts of terrorism within Pakistan, noting that 161 Afghans were killed in 2024 in such incidents, with another 135 being eliminated during border infiltrations. He reported that 30 Afghan suicide bombers had participated in terrorism activities the previous year.

He also accused India of allegedly supporting militancy in Afghanistan.

The spokesperson rebuked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government for not developing its counter-terrorism department, which has only 3,200 personnel and has managed to register only 55 percent of religious seminaries.

Chaudhry stated that the intersection of crime and militancy resulted in the concentration of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He also condemned the "political thought" of negotiating with terrorists in place of conducting operations.

"It is abundantly clear who is crafting the narrative for dialogues with those who killed our children and played football with their heads," he remarked.

Imran Khan has consistently advocated for dialogue with militants as the only path to achieving peace.

The general urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to focus on protecting the province's residents rather than "pleading with Afghanistan" for security.