RAWALPINDI (Kashmir English): The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, is currently addressing a press conference on the prevailing security situation in the country, with a particular focus on Balochistan.
While talking to the journalists on Friday, DG ISPR said that security forces have conducted more than 40,000 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan.
He added that security forces have conducted more than 7,000 intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The DG ISPR said 303 soldiers embraced martyrdom while defending the country against terrorist threats, paying the ultimate sacrifice in operations across the region.
He revealed that 28 suicide attacks had taken place during 2026, with most of the attackers identified as Afghan nationals.
Highlighting the security forces’ achievements, the military spokesperson said more than 2,000 terrorists have been eliminated during counterterrorism operations.
The Military spokesperson further noted that the military is not running the affairs of the state.
DG ISPR said that “there is a deliberate attempt to spread the impression that the situation in Balochistan is bad.
“There is no scope for talks with terrorists; either they should surrender according to the law, or we will fight them.”
Ahmed Chaudry added that deliberate attempts are being made to spread propaganda about Balochistan because the elite and the chieftains want the poor child not to move forward.
“First Identity Should Be Pakistan”
The DG ISPR has said that the first and primary identity of every Pakistani should be Pakistan, and not provincial, linguistic or ethnic affiliation.
He said that the existence of the state is the guarantee of politics, security, identity and national survival; therefore, it is necessary to give priority to national interest over every other identity.
He said that we have to adopt the mindset that before Punjabi, Pakhtun, Baloch, Sindhi, Kashmiri or other regional identities, our primary identity should be Pakistani.
According to him, only if the state is strong will politics, economy, life, honor, and national identity be safe.
“Cases of missing persons have been disposed of”
The DG ISPR has said that a narrative contrary to the facts has also been created on the issue of missing persons, while the government has established a regular commission for this purpose, under which each case is investigated.
He said that if a person is reported missing, his name, identity card, father’s name, and other details should be presented to the commission for investigation.
According to the DG ISPR, since the establishment of the Missing Persons Commission in early 2010, a total of 10,901 applications have been received so far, out of which 9,372 cases have been disposed of, while 1,529 cases are under process.
He said that in the disposed cases, about 4,896 people have returned to their homes, while about 730 people were found in various jails or detention centers.
Similarly, 308 deaths were confirmed, while in about 2,400 cases, after detailed investigation, it was proved that they could not be considered as missing persons.
The DG ISPR said that most propaganda is done regarding Balochistan, but the commission received a total of about 2,933 cases from the province, out of which 2,767 were disposed of and only 166 cases are pending.
He said that similar cases also come to light from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and other provinces; however, the issue of Balochistan is deliberately given more prominence.
According to the DG ISPR, many of the individuals who are considered “missing” by some quarters are later killed in terrorist operations or their identities come to light in various incidents.
He said that in many cases, the photographs and identification information of these individuals are also consistent with the records of the commission, while some families themselves later clarify that they had no connection with the activities of such individuals.
“Kashmir jugular vein of Pakistan”
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan and Kashmir were inseparable, reiterating that Kashmir was, is and will always be the jugular vein of Pakistan.
He said that all the children of the state are dear, but the most cherished child is Kashmir, and the decision of Kashmiris to stay with Pakistan is firm.
The spokesperson described the Kashmir dispute as the unfinished agenda of the 1947 Partition and said the future of the region should be determined by the Kashmiri people themselves, who should decide whether to join Pakistan or India through a free and fair process.
He further added that the largest share in the distribution of resources is given to Kashmir.
In response to a question about the recent protest of the banned Awami Action Committee, he said that these people demand that the refugees from occupied Kashmir should not be represented.
“Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris but is an integral part of Pakistan; these people played games in the name of rights in the state, but their objectives were different, which have now come to light,” he stated.
