RAWALPINDI: The Afghan Taliban lack the capability to absorb the “punishment” Pakistan could inflict in response to threats originating from Afghanistan, the military’s spokesperson has warned.
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Reuters that Pakistan had the capability to counter threats from the Afghan Taliban, including potential drone attacks.
He said the military was also prepared for attempts to test its operational readiness.
“Whatever they want to send, they can; they may try. We have the capability to take them on,” the ISPR chief said in an interview.
“They don’t have, I think, the capability to then absorb the punishment that we can put on them,” he added.
The military spokesperson was responding to a question about the potential threat posed by drones operated by the Afghan Taliban and whether Pakistan could face challenges similar to those experienced elsewhere in the region.
Pakistan Raises Concerns Over Taliban Drone Capabilities
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the Afghan Taliban’s drone capabilities were not indigenous. He claimed the technology was being supplied by their sponsors.
The ISPR chief also described India as the “biggest terror sponsor” in the context of threats facing Pakistan. He alleged that the Afghan Taliban and militant groups operating against Pakistan were acting as Indian proxies.
Referring to the previous conflict between Pakistan and India, he said New Delhi had deployed “dozens and dozens” of sophisticated drones, which Pakistan had successfully countered.
“We turned them into dust everywhere,” he said, adding that Pakistan had since further strengthened its operational readiness.
‘There Will Be a Cost’
The ISPR chief accused the Afghan Taliban regime of harbouring militant leaders and allowing armed groups to operate from Afghan territory against Pakistan.
He said Islamabad was not seeking to isolate Afghanistan and remained willing to engage with Kabul. However, he stressed that the Taliban leadership must “act like a state” and prevent terrorism originating from its territory.
“We only ask you that don’t support terrorism inside Pakistan. Stop harbouring the terrorist leaders,” he said.
According to Lt Gen Chaudhry, militant groups were crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan and obtaining weapons there. He also claimed that Afghan citizens and members of the Taliban regime had been found among groups involved in attacks against Pakistan.
“If you do it, then there will be a cost,” he warned. “And we are capable of imposing that cost and we have a clear strategy how to impose that cost.”
He further alleged that Afghanistan was providing an environment in which multiple militant organisations could operate. At the same time, he rejected allegations that Pakistan was hosting or coordinating groups opposed to the Afghan Taliban.
‘Afghanistan Producing Terrorism and Drugs’
Rejecting the suggestion that Kabul should face international isolation, the ISPR chief said regional countries and the wider international community should instead engage with the Afghan Taliban and press the leadership to fulfil its responsibilities.
“What Afghanistan is producing right now, it has only two products: terrorism and drugs,” he said, arguing that both posed threats to the region and the wider world.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan had no intention of dictating how Afghanistan should be governed, adding that the country’s political future was for Afghans to decide.
However, he stressed that no state could tolerate armed groups, militias and mercenaries operating from its territory.
Pakistan Army Adapting to Emerging Technologies
Discussing the changing nature of warfare, the ISPR chief said the Pakistan Army was adapting its capabilities to emerging threats across conventional and non-contact warfare.
These included drones, cyber capabilities and other advanced technologies.
He said the spread of non-contact warfare capabilities among non-state actors posed a growing security challenge. This required countries to reassess their defence strategies and security arrangements.
Asked whether the military used artificial intelligence to identify targets in Afghanistan, Lt Gen Chaudhry declined to disclose operational details.
“I cannot go into specifics [about] how we are using AI, how we are using quantum technology, how we are using cyber technology, or how we are using multiple other technologies,” he said.
“But we are using all sorts of technologies. We are a technology-savvy army,” he added.
