Pakistan has not allowed US to attack Afghanistan from its soil: DG ISPR

• DG ISPR rejects Taliban claim on US drone operations.
• Confirms 112 foreign militants killed in recent clashes.
• Links Khyber poppy trade to terrorism funding networks.
  

Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday categorically rejected the Afghan Taliban regime's allegation of allowing the US drones to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.

"This allegation is false," said Lt Gen Chaudhry during a closed-door briefing to senior journalists, adding that Pakistan has not allowed the US to launch attacks on Afghanistan from its soil.

The military spokesperson spoke to the country's senior journalists today, during which he briefed them about the status of Pakistan-Afghanistan talks, cross-border attacks, counterterrorism operations, financial hubs of the terrorists, and India's nefarious plans.

Lt Gen Chaudhry further clarified that Islamabad and Washington have no such agreement which allows the latter to attack Afghanistan.

This briefing was conducted amid a fragile ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was extended after days-long Istanbul talks from October 25 to 30, where both sides also reached an understanding to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure peace and penalise any violator.

In the next round of talks, Islamabad and Kabul would finalise operational details of the joint framework in Istanbul on November 6.

'Opium cultivation funding militancy'

The DG ISPR told journalists Pakistan had killed numerous cross-border terrorists, many identified as Afghan nationals, and highlighted extensive opium cultivation funding militancy.

The military spokesman outlined a series of recent operations and allegations, saying that in clashes over the past three to four months, 112 foreign fighters were killed and that roughly 60% of the militants were Afghan nationals.

"In these actions, 206 Afghan army soldiers were also reported killed," he added. The spokesman said counter-narcotics activity formed a key part of the campaign.

He said that KP terrorism is linked to a narco-economy.

"Drones, the ANF and the Frontier Corps destroyed poppy fields in the Tirah valley," the DG ISPR said, pointing to operations that targeted cultivation and processing sites.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had some 12,000 acres under poppy cultivation and that profits ranged from Rs1.8 million to Rs3.2 million per acre. "Local politicians and others are involved in this cultivation," he warned.

'Taliban failed to honour Doha agreement'

The military spokesman said Islamabad's problem stemmed from the Afghan Taliban's failure to honour the Doha agreement.

"Taliban promised a Loya Jirga and a representative government in Doha, but they have not fulfilled that promise," he said, urging political settlement while keeping open the option of further measures.

"We want peace and prefer negotiations; if talks fail, we will consider other means," he added.

The statement also accused elements in Afghanistan of providing safe havens for militants from Balochistan and of relocating fighters into civilian areas to use them as human shields.

After attending the briefing, Geo News' anchorperson Hamid Mir said that Chaudhry presented evidence before the journalists regarding the Afghan Taliban soldiers' involvement in terrorism in Pakistan.

He added that they were presented with the same evidence that the Pakistani authorities shared with the Afghan Taliban during the Doha talks.

India's possible false-flag maritime operation

"We suspect India may attempt a false-flag maritime operation," the DG ISPR said, asserting that Pakistan was fully alert to such possibilities.

He also said that through the false flag operation, India would propagate a lie about a major strike on Pakistan.

The DG ISPR framed the military's actions as defensive and targeted and vowed that Pakistan would act to protect its territorial security if necessary.