No narrative can weaken the bond between the army and the people; our only story is that of Pakistan, say security sources
Mahmood Khan Achakzai delivers his first speech in the National Assembly as leader of the opposition on January 19, 2026.
Security officials on Wednesday categorically rejected the military’s role in politics and described the opposition leader’s recent statement in the National Assembly (AN) against the armed forces as “regrettable and based on lies.” “The recent statement by the opposition leader against the Pakistan Army is highly regrettable. No speech can weaken the bond between the army and the people. Our only speech is Pakistan,” security sources said in a statement.
“This statement follows remarks by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who reportedly said the army belongs to only four districts. Defending the statement, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said, ‘Even though Mahmood Achakzai may have his views, he should not attack the army. Pakistan Army is not the army of any province or district. Its character is national.'”
At a press briefing in Lahore with media representatives, security officials stressed that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism requires national unity and collective resolve beyond the security forces alone. However, they said that dialogue between political parties is their democratic right, but the military has no role in politics.
Security sources added that the campaign against terrorism is not limited to the armed forces, police or Frontier Corps, but is a fight that involves the entire nation. They stressed that lasting success depends on the full implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), which they described as the cornerstone of counter-terrorism efforts across the country.
Learn more: Army is national force, not district force, Asif tells Achakzai
The sources say India is behind what they call “sponsored terrorism” inside Pakistan, saying external support continues to fuel militant activities. They further said that the attacker involved in the recent Tralai Imambargah incident had received training in Afghanistan.
Security officials called for decisive action against internal and external elements involved in terrorism, urging Pakistanis to transcend political, ethnic, linguistic or sectarian divisions. “Regardless of political or religious affiliation, the nation must remain united against terrorism,” the sources said, adding that unity is essential to defeat all forms of extremism.
Referring to Balochistan, the officials claimed that militant groups operating under the guise of narratives of deprivation are in fact the enemies of the Baloch people and the development of the province. They said the public in Balochistan was increasingly recognizing this reality.
The report also highlighted progress in tackling smuggling networks, with sources noting that illegal smuggling of 15-20 million liters of Iranian gasoline and diesel per year – previously used to finance militant activities – has now been reduced.
Read also: Afghan mastermind of Islamabad imambargah attack, linked to ISIS, in custody
Good governance has been described as an essential factor in eliminating terrorism at its roots. Security officials added that recent meetings in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) aimed at addressing security challenges were encouraging, reiterating that the NAP also remains critical to controlling terrorism in the province.
Drawing parallels with past national unity, security officials said Pakistan would defeat terrorists just as it united during ‘Marka-e-Haq’ to defeat external threats.
They also cited awareness visits to educational institutions as proof that the public, especially the youth, strongly supports the Pakistan Army. The security officials concluded by stating that all legal and judicial issues must be decided in strict accordance with the Constitution and the law by the judiciary.
Read also: UN Security Council report endorses Pakistan’s claims that TTP attacks from Afghan soil are increasing
Pakistan is currently facing a wave of terrorism, with a suicide attack at an Imambargah in Islamabad last week claiming the lives of 36 people. Additionally, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Balochistan resulted in the deaths of 36 civilians, including women and children. In addition, 22 security and law enforcement personnel were also killed.
Security forces successfully concluded ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1’ in Balochistan, carrying out a series of coordinated and intelligence-led operations against Indian-sponsored terrorist elements. As a result of these well-coordinated engagements and subsequent clearance operations, 216 terrorists were killed, significantly degrading the leadership, command and control structures and operational capabilities of the terrorist networks.
Pakistan’s allegations against Afghanistan and India for supporting terrorism
Pakistan has repeatedly highlighted an Afghanistan-India nexus behind terrorism in the country. The Interior Minister said earlier this week that the mastermind of the attack was an Afghan citizen linked to Daesh.
In November 2024, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had issued a warning that the Afghan regime posed a threat not only to Pakistan but to the entire region and the world, citing the abandonment of $7.2 billion worth of US military equipment during the US withdrawal.
Lt Gen Chaudhry reiterated that the Afghan regime harbored “non-state actors” who posed a threat to various countries in the region, highlighting the Taliban’s failure to establish an inclusive state and government after 2021. He stressed that Pakistan’s problem was with the Afghan Taliban regime and not the Afghan people.
Learn more: Afghan regime poses threat to region and world (DG ISPR)
After the conflict with India in May 2025, Field Marshal Asim Munir had declared that Pakistan would never be coerced and that all hostile designs aimed at derailing the country’s counter-terrorism efforts would be “completely defeated”.
In August last year, the UN Taliban Sanctions Committee’s 1988 annual monitoring team report said the banned terror groups – BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and TTP – had “close coordination”.
The report says regional relations remain fragile and “there is a risk that terrorist groups will exploit these regional tensions.” He adds that the TTP had approximately 6,000 fighters and continued to receive substantial logistical and operational support from the de facto authorities (the Taliban).
“Some Member States have reported that the TTP maintains links at the tactical level with ISIL-K or Daesh,” the statement said. “The TTP continued to carry out high-profile attacks in the region, some of which resulted in numerous casualties,” the report added.
Read also: The breeding ground of terrorism
The UNSC report said “some BLA attacks showed a high degree of complexity and brutality,” citing the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, which killed 31 people, including 21 hostages.
In 2023, a UN report also revealed that the banned TTP had established a new base in KP by mid-2023. The report highlights the close ties not only between the TTP and the Afghan Taliban, but also with anti-Pakistan groups and Al-Qaeda.
The report further reveals that some Taliban members have also joined the TTP, seeing it as a religious obligation to provide support. Interlocutors reported that TTP members and their families regularly received aid from the Taliban.
Importantly, the UN report noted a significant increase in the number of Afghan nationals in the ranks of the TTP. This supports Pakistan’s position that an increasing number of Afghan nationals are involved in suicide attacks in the country.
