DG ISPR Says Attempts Being Made to Portray Balochistan as Deteriorating

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that deliberate efforts were being made to create a perception that the security situation in Balochistan was getting worse.

He made the remarks while addressing a press conference on the overall security situation in Pakistan, with a particular focus on Balochistan.

At the beginning of the briefing, the military spokesperson said 40,348 intelligence-based operations had been carried out across the country so far this year. He said the figure included operations conducted by all security forces, including police, civil armed forces, intelligence agencies and the armed forces.

More than 31,000 of these operations were conducted in Balochistan, he said.

The DG ISPR said 3,145 terrorism incidents had been reported across Pakistan in 2026. Of these, 1,971 incidents occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,148 in Balochistan and 26 in other parts of the country.

During the same period, 2,084 confirmed terrorists were killed. “This comes to an average of 10 terrorists being killed every day, which is the highest ratio ever,” he said.

He added that security forces were conducting nearly 200 intelligence-based operations (IBO) every day. “So these IBOs are going on every hour.”

The DG ISPR said that “819 Pakistanis have been martyred” in terrorism-related incidents this year, an average of four people per day. The victims included 303 army personnel, 194 police and civil armed forces personnel and 322 civilians.

He said 28 suicide bombing incidents had occurred this year, “the majority of which were carried out by Afghan nationals […] and people associated with their security forces”.

Comparing the number of terrorists killed in 2025 and 2026, he said 2,597 terrorists were killed last year, while 2,084 have been killed so far this year.

With five months still remaining in 2026, he said, “The way the kinetic prong of the counter-terrorism is maturing, responding and delivering, that is before you.”

The DG ISPR said the number of martyrs had previously been higher compared to the number of terrorists killed, but the situation began changing in 2024. In 2025, “for each martyr we were taking out minimum two [terrorists], and this year, we are taking out minimum 2.5 [terrorists].”

He said the rise in terrorism incidents could be linked to terrorist groups changing their strategy. “Because once returns from other elements of their strategy begin diminishing, they focus more here. And you saw when their direct strategy during Marka-i-Haq failed, they started investing a lot more here,” he explained.

The DG ISPR said the situation was also linked to the “agenda of the terrorist-supporting Taliban regime” and the clear position adopted by the Pakistani state.

“These terrorists and their sponsors have come to understand that there is no space for appeasement or any talks with them […] They know that the state is telling them very clearly that either you submit to the state’s will in accordance with law and the Constitution, otherwise we are here and fighting,” he said.

He added that the proactive approach of security forces was another reason for the increase in reported incidents. “These [terrorism] incidents also rise because when we get proactive […] there will be more engagements.”

Three Questions About Balochistan

Addressing the perception that the situation in Balochistan had worsened, the DG ISPR said the issue could be understood by answering three basic questions: What is the issue? What is happening? And what is being done?

He said the first issue was not limited to Balochistan but concerned the overall security environment in Pakistan.

The key question, he said, was “Hard state, question mark.”

“Are we a hard state? Unfortunately not,” the military spokesperson said.

He explained that a hard state was one where the Constitution and law applied equally to everyone. “That is what a hard state is. It does not mean a military-run state, it does not mean an armed forces-dominated state,” he added.

According to the DG ISPR, a strong state is one where decisions are made according to the Constitution and law and where all citizens are treated equally. He said such a system would help create security and stability and reduce grievances.

He also spoke about the balance between rights and responsibilities. He said people should understand their responsibilities before demanding their rights.

“We are all taking up grievances — at some places slogans are also being raised in connection with those grievances and even arms are being taken up in some instances — and all those grievances [pertain to demand for rights],” he said.

He acknowledged that some demands and grievances may be genuine but stressed that citizens must also fulfil their obligations.

“Let me try to explain the context constitutionally,” he said while referring to Article 5 of the Constitution.

He said Article 5 comes before Article 8, which deals with fundamental rights. He quoted the provision as saying: “Loyalty to the state and obedience to the Constitution and law. It says loyalty to the state is the basic duty of every citizen. Full stop. Absolutely clear.

“The provision’s second part states that obedience to the Constitution and law is the inviolable obligation of every citizen wherever he may be.”

He said the Constitution is “clear that we have some fundamental duties that we need to be loyal to the state”.

“If we are loyal to the state and we are obedient to the Constitution and the law, then you can talk about your rights,” he said.

Referring to remarks made recently by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir at the National Workshop in Balochistan, he questioned why there should not also be an “obligations movement” alongside discussions about rights.

“There has to be a movement for the obligation of every citizen,” he asserted.

DG ISPR Highlights Issues in Balochistan

Speaking about citizens’ responsibilities, the DG ISPR said, “Is this not an obligation for every citizen that our first and final identity should be Pakistani? … We are citizens of this state, so our first identity and our last identity and the foremost identity is being a Pakistani.

“It is our obligation to acknowledge the fundamental position, the central position of the state of Pakistan because if there is the state, there is politics, there is life […] These are our fundamental obligations.

“Are we working towards that? Let’s think about it.”

Turning specifically to Balochistan, he said the province’s main issues included elitism, sardarism and efforts to maintain the existing system.

“This is that part of society that believes it has no obligations and only thinks of their rights. The elites, the sardars are a part of it. And I am not talking about all of them but those who believe that this status quo must be maintained,” the DG ISPR said.

He added that this system existed even before 1947 and had prevented children from poor families from getting proper education and opportunities to progress.