Rawalpindi, May 9, 2025: Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to defending its sovereignty and dignity against any external aggression, particularly from India.
In a media briefing attended by international journalists and flanked by officers of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Navy (PN), the ISPR chief accused India of exploiting false narratives and targeting innocent civilians—including women and children—for political objectives.
Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif condemned the Indian media’s swift attribution of blame to Pakistan for the recent Pahalgam incident, pointing out that the Indian police responded to the attack within 10 minutes and the media blamed Pakistan shortly thereafter—raising serious doubts about the credibility and timing of the accusations.
“The question is how India could draw conclusions so quickly without any investigation,” he stated. “Terrorist attacks occur almost daily in Pakistan, and there is credible evidence pointing to Indian involvement.”
He noted that even Indian politicians have publicly questioned their own government’s security failures following the incident. “India is attempting to deflect attention from its internal crises by targeting Pakistan and peddling disinformation,” he added.
The military spokesperson revealed that over 60 Indian aircraft were airborne during the time of the Pahalgam incident, and some were intercepted by Pakistani forces. He played an audio clip of a communication involving a Rafale pilot as part of the evidence.
“Pakistan will protect its sovereignty and honour at all costs,” said Lt Gen Sharif. “In contrast, India continues to violate international norms by targeting civilians.”
He also presented video statements from residents of Indian-occupied Kashmir, many of whom dismissed the Pahalgam attack as a staged event orchestrated by Indian forces. According to the ISPR DG, such “fake encounters” are commonplace in the region.
Referring to previous incidents, he recalled Pakistan’s stance on the Pulwama attack, labelling it a false-flag operation—a claim later supported by the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, who admitted the attack was used to bolster political gains.
Lt Gen Sharif further alleged that India is actively supporting terrorism in Balochistan by backing banned outfits such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and affiliates of ISIS (Khawarij). “Indian officials have openly admitted to sponsoring terrorism,” he said, while also showing evidence of alleged terrorist camps within Indian territory.
In response to Indian accusations, the ISPR DG urged the formation of an independent and neutral commission to examine evidence. “Who has given India the right to be judge, jury, and executioner?” he questioned.
He also highlighted ongoing human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, claiming that Indian forces routinely arrest and kill civilians—particularly Muslims and Kashmiris—who accidentally cross the border, later portraying them as terrorists. Video testimonies of these alleged atrocities were shown during the briefing.
Addressing the international media, Lt Gen Sharif invited foreign journalists to independently verify the facts presented by Pakistan.
He concluded by airing video clips of Indian leaders making inflammatory remarks about Pakistan, and showed footage of convicted Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who confessed to organizing terrorism in Pakistan.
Separately, the ISPR reported that 77 Indian drones were shot down across multiple Pakistani cities amid rising tensions. According to security sources, 29 drones were destroyed by the evening of May 8, with an additional 48 neutralized overnight. Four were intercepted in Okara, and one each in Vehari and Pakpattan.
“All hostile drones are continuously tracked by radar,” said the ISPR chief. “Our air defense systems are capable of detecting even small drones, and operational protocols are in place to neutralize such threats without endangering civilian lives or commercial flights.”
