PESHAWAR – Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations DG ISPR revealed that political terror-crime nexus is fueling recent surge in terrorism across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), accusing certain political and criminal elements of providing space and support to militants by weakening governance and law enforcement in the region.
Addressing a presser, ISPR chief said Pakistan has been fighting the menace of terrorism for over two decades, with the Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies, police, and citizens sacrificing thousands of lives to restore peace.
“Unfortunately, in KP, terrorists and their facilitators were deliberately given space under planned strategies,” he said. “Governance, law, and public welfare were intentionally weakened, and misleading narratives were promoted, the result of which the people are paying in blood.”
More than 14,000 operations were conducted in KP during 2024, an average of 40 operations per day, in which 769 terrorists were eliminated. During these operations, 577 people embraced martyrdom, including 272 soldiers, 140 police officers, and 165 civilians.
In 2025, 10,115 intelligence-based operations have been conducted, leading to the killing of 917 terrorists, an average of 3.5 per day. He added that 516 personnel have been martyred this year, including 311 soldiers, 73 police officers, and 132 civilians. “The number of terrorists killed this year is the highest in a decade,” he noted, stressing that state’s response has been robust and decisive.
DG ISPR outlined five major factors sustaining terrorism in the region, starting from failure to fully implement the National Action Plan (NAP). Second, Politicization of the fight against terrorism. Third, India’s use of Afghanistan as a base of operations against Islamabad.
Rest two are safe havens and modern weapons for militants inside Afghanistan and existence of a terror-crime nexus involving drugs, extortion, and smuggling.
He revealed that between 2024 and 2025, 161 Afghan terrorists and 135 cross-border infiltrators were killed, while around 30 suicide attackers were Afghan nationals.
Sharif lamented weak implementation of National Action Plan, slow judicial proceedings, and insufficient counterterrorism capacity in KP. He noted that the province’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has only 3,200 personnel, an inadequate strength given the scale of the threat.
DG ISPR highlighted that only 55% of madrassas in KP have been registered, stressing the need for a unified curriculum and proper monitoring. He criticized political narratives opposing the repatriation of Afghan refugees, stating that decisions taken in 2014 and 2021 are now being politicized for short-term gains.
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