Pakistan Military Orders Terrorists to Surrender or Face Elimination

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), issued an ultimatum to terrorist groups on July 31, 2026, stating that militants must either surrender under the law or face military elimination. Speaking at a press conference in Rawalpindi, Chaudhry announced that the state will no longer offer concessions or negotiations.

Reporting on the security climate, Chaudhry disclosed that security forces conducted 40,348 intelligence-based operations in 2026, with over 31,000 of those occurring in Balochistan. These operations resulted in the deaths of 2,084 confirmed terrorists. However, terrorism has still claimed 819 lives this year, including 303 military personnel, 194 police officials, and 322 civilians. He specifically attributed much of the violence to the Balochistan Liberation Army, which he accused of targeting infrastructure and civilians with support from local feudal sardars and foreign sponsorship from India and Afghanistan.

To counter these threats and protect development projects, the military will split the Frontier Corps in Balochistan into three divisions by adding a West command to the existing North and South commands. Chaudhry dismissed claims that state control in Balochistan is deteriorating, arguing that the increase in security encounters is actually evidence of a higher operational tempo by government forces.