Our deployment on western border is against non-state actors: DG ISPR

Rawalpindi - Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor addressed a press conference at GHQ in Rawalpindi, on Thursday. During the conference, Asif Ghafoor conceded to threats at Pakistan's border, but raised the question of "whether the threat is because of a state or non-state actors", and the country's response to it.

"Pakistan is an indispensable reality and when multiple interests conspire, it is natural that it creates conflicts," he said, "Afghanistan has been at war for the past four decades, and their war entered our borders after 9/11. We, as a nation, have fought that battle well."

Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor denied the presence of any organised bases of any terrorist organisation in the country anymore. He said, "more than 50 percent of Afghan territory is out of Kabul's control, which is affecting Pakistan".

"Pakistan is forced to keep army at the western borders because of Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other such non-state actors", Mr. Asif said, "we are forced to do so because there is a strategic threat that exists there, our deployment is neither against Afghanistan nor Iran".

While commenting on the alleged contacts with militants, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said, "To have links and to support them is different, you can have links to eradicate the problem. There is not even one country who doesn't have links or contacts with the militants," he further added.

The Press Conference was conducted after the COAS's day long visit to Afghanistan.