Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said Pakistan is much ahead of the Afghan Taliban and India in operational readiness, in an interview that was recorded on 30 October and aired by state media on 1 November.
In the interview with Reuters, Chaudhry spoke about Pakistan’s adaptation to drones, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and changing warfare. He presented operational readiness as a central strength, arguing that Pakistan has adapted to new forms of warfare and to the technologies that are reshaping modern conflict. His remarks were framed as an assessment of Pakistan’s military preparedness in a changing security environment.
Chaudhry said the Afghan Taliban lacked their own military capabilities, relied on sponsors and acted as a proxy of India, which he called the biggest terror sponsor. These are his statements, as reported from the interview, and they reflect his position rather than established fact. The language he used is strong, and it forms part of a broader set of claims he made about the regional security situation.
He said Pakistan’s only demand is an end to support for terrorists. That demand, as he expressed it, focuses on the issue of support for militant groups, rather than on wider political questions. It presents Pakistan’s position as centred on counter-terrorism and on stopping support that, in Pakistan’s view, enables attacks against it.
Chaudhry named three individuals whom he said were sheltered in Afghanistan: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Noor Wali Mehsud, Balochistan Liberation Army commander Bashir Zeb and Gul Bahadur. Naming individuals in this way is a deliberate part of his argument, linking specific militant leaders to the question of shelter in Afghanistan. Again, these are claims made by Chaudhry in the interview, and they are reported here as his statements.
He also spoke about Pakistan’s ability to intercept drones, recalling that dozens of sophisticated drones were shot down in the May 2025 conflict with India. That recollection was offered as evidence of Pakistan’s operational capability in dealing with drone threats, a form of warfare that has become increasingly prominent in recent conflicts. Drone interception, in his account, is one area in which Pakistan has demonstrated readiness.
The interview’s discussion of drones, artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities reflects how modern warfare is changing. Drones allow surveillance and strikes without putting pilots at risk, artificial intelligence is increasingly used in data analysis and decision-making, and cyber capabilities can affect communications and infrastructure. A military’s readiness today therefore depends not only on traditional forces, but also on its ability to operate across these newer domains.
Chaudhry said Pakistan does not seek Afghanistan’s isolation, but wants it to act like a responsible state. That statement, as he expressed it, draws a distinction between isolation and responsibility: Pakistan, in his account, is not seeking to cut Afghanistan off, but is seeking behaviour that it considers responsible, particularly in relation to militant groups.
The interview was recorded on 30 October and aired by state media on 1 November, giving it a wide audience in Pakistan. Interviews by senior military spokespersons are often closely watched, both domestically and internationally, because they provide an official perspective on security policy and regional relations.
It is important to present the claims in the interview accurately: they are the views and allegations of the DG ISPR, as stated in the interview, not independently established facts. The Afghan Taliban and India have their own positions on these questions, and the issues raised, including allegations of sponsorship and shelter for militants, are contested in regional debate.
For readers, the interview therefore offers insight into how Pakistan’s military spokesperson frames the current security situation: Pakistan as operationally ready and adapting to new warfare, the Afghan Taliban as lacking independent capabilities and acting as a proxy, India as a sponsor of terrorism, and Pakistan’s demand as focused on ending support for terrorists. Whether those framings are accepted by other parties is a separate question, and one that will continue to be debated in the region.
Source: Express Tribune, Business Recorder, Pakistan Today, Radio Pakistan.
