ISLAMABAD: Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar said on Friday the situation on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan was "under control" despite the ongoing situation in the neighboring country which recently witnessed the collapse of its political administration.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left his country earlier this month after the Taliban captured major cities and strategic border crossings that ultimately led to the fall of Kabul on August 15.
Prior to that, the Afghan national army gave little resistance to the Taliban insurgents who intensified their military campaign after US President Joe Biden announced to pull out international forces in April.
The absence of a government and a functional military has raised concerns about border management in Pakistan since thousands of Afghans want to flee their country in the present political turmoil.
"Pakistan had already started taking those measures which we needed to take to guard the Pakistan-Afghanistan international border in the best possible way, to manage it well and to ensure security and stability on this side of the border," Iftikhar said.
He maintained his country's leaders had the "foresight" to predict the situation in Afghanistan, adding that they decided to beef up border security as early as 2014.
"Despite whatever has happened on that side [in Afghanistan], the situation on the Pak-Afghan border is normal and under control," he said.
The DG ISPR noted that several high-ranking Pakistani officials, including the army chief, had visited Kabul during the tenure of the Ghani administration, offering Afghan officials intelligence sharing mechanism and training of their forces.
He added that Pakistan was even willing to raise, equip and train a brigade level force in the Afghan national army, but its offers were spurned by the government in Kabul.
"We offered to train them several times but only six Afghan cadets came [to Pakistan]," he said. "This was despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of Afghan soldiers went for training to India and several Indian training teams were also placed in Afghanistan."
Iftikhar maintained the international community should put India "in the dock" since it had "poisoned" the minds of Afghan political and military leaders on all levels while accusing New Delhi of playing a negative role in Afghanistan.
"Whatever investment they [Indians] made in Afghanistan to develop their clout, it was done with only one intention: to harm Pakistan," he said.
Iftikhar reiterated that Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies were working together to hurt Pakistan, though India has denied such charges in the past.
Asked about Pakistan's future course of action if the Afghan Taliban failed to control anti-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban militant faction, he said the Taliban had assured they would not allow the Afghan soil to be used against any country and "we should take them at their word."
Pakistani military says situation on Afghan border 'under control'
https://arab.news/wnb7k
Pakistani military says situation on Afghan border 'under control'
- As thousands of Afghans want to flee their country, the absence of a functioning military in Afghanistan has raised border security concerns
- Pakistan's military also accused India of 'poisoning' the minds of Afghan leaders and asked international community to put New Delhi 'in the dock'
Islamabad says surge in aircraft orders after India standoff could end IMF reliance
- Pakistani jets came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft during a standoff in May last year
- Many countries have since stepped up engagement with Pakistan, while others have proposed learning from PAF’s multi-domain capabilities
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said Pakistan has witnessed a surge in aircraft orders after a four-day military standoff with India last year and, if materialized, they could end the country’s reliance on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The statement came hours after a high-level Bangladeshi defense delegation met Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu to discuss a potential sale of JF-17 Thunder aircraft, a multi-role fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan that has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the past decade.
Fighter jets used by Pakistan came into the limelight after Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, during the military conflict with India in May last year. India acknowledged losses in the aerial combat but did not specify a number.
Many countries have since stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple other nations have proposed learning from Pakistan Air Force’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that successfully advanced Chinese military technology performs against Western hardware.
“Right now, the number of orders we are receiving after reaching this point is significant because our aircraft have been tested,” Defense Minister Asif told a Pakistan’s Geo News channel.
“We are receiving those orders, and it is possible that after six months we may not even need the IMF.”
Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 as a lower-cost multi-role fighter and has positioned itself as a supplier able to offer aircraft, training and maintenance outside Western supply chains.
“I am saying this to you with full confidence,” Asif continued. “If, after six months, all these orders materialize, we will not need the IMF.”
Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the IMF for financial assistance to stabilize its economy. These loans come with strict conditions including fiscal reforms, subsidy cuts and measures to increase revenue that Pakistan must implement to secure disbursements.
In Sept. 2024, the IMF approved a $7 billion bailout for Pakistan under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program and a separate $1.4 billion loan under its climate resilience fund in May 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s economic and climate resilience.
Pakistan has long been striving to expand defense exports by leveraging its decades of counter-insurgency experience and a domestic industry that produces aircraft, armored vehicles, munitions and other equipment.
The South Asian country reached a deal worth over $4 billion to sell military equipment to the Libyan National Army, Reuters report last month, citing Pakistani officials. The deal, one of Pakistan’s largest-ever weapons sales, included the sale of 16 JF-17 fighter jets and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training.
