Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that the Afghan Taliban had to choose between standing with Pakistan or with terrorist organisations.

“I want to make one thing clear: the oppressive Afghan Taliban regime has to make a clear choice. The choice is to choose between Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Baloch Liberation Army, Daesh, Al Qaeda, the terrorists and terrorist organisations and Pakistan,” he said while giving a briefing on security forces’ response to unprovoked aggression by the Afghan Taliban on Thursday.

“They have to make this choice. It has been made clear by the government of Pakistan. It is not something new I am saying … They have to make this choice. Whether they choose terrorists and terrorism or Pakistan. We are clear … Let it be known that our choice is absolutely clear. It will always be Pakistan over everything,” he said.

“The Pakistan Army and the people of Pakistan have never hesitated in making any sacrifice for this choice and they never will,” he asserted.

At the outset of the briefing, the DG ISPR gave a breakdown of the security forces’ response.

“The Afghan Taliban regime, which is the master proxy of all these terrorist proxies operating from Afghanistan … that master proxy … came into action last night … along with the terrorists of Fitna al Khawarij,” he said.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term that the state used for banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The DG ISPR said that Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij opened fire and carried out physical raids on 53 locations along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“This aggression was done by this master proxy in coordination, in collusion and in support of a terrorist organisation. That’s what happened last night,” he said.

Talking about Pakistan’s response to the aggression, he said: “We were ready.”

He said that Pakistan’s armed forces responded “immediately and effectively”, adding that the attack was repulsed at all 53 locations.

“They came with armed quadcopters [and] big and small weapons. We shot down their quadcopters and silenced their weapons,” he said.

He added that not only were the attacks effectively repulsed, but Pakistan, exercising self-defence, responded and gave a “befitting reply”.

Giving details of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq — which was launched in response to the attacks by Afghan Taliban — he said so far 274 Taliban regime personnel and khawarij had been killed and more than 400 were injured.

“Seventy-three posts of the Afghan Taliban along the Pak-Afghan border have been totally destroyed. Eighteen posts have been captured,” he said.

As per conservative estimates, 115 tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery pieces of the Afghan Taliban forces had been destroyed, he said.

He further said that the headquarters and military installations — which were providing support to terrorist organisations and helped them plan — were targeted and hit.

In these airstrikes, 22 locations in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika were targeted, he said.

“All these targets were very carefully selected based on intelligence. They are military targets, and great care was exercised so that there is no civilian collateral damage,” he asserted.

He said that these targets included corps headquarters, brigade headquarters, battalion headquarters, sector headquarters, ammunition depots, logistics bases, and places providing shelter to terrorists and their supporters.

He further said that at several places, the “cowardly Afghan Taliban forces and the khawarij with them” not only fled but also abandoned the dead bodies of their accomplices, which had been “secured” in accordance with the Geneva protocols.

He said that 12 Pakistan Army soldiers had been martyred, while 27 were injured and one soldier was missing in action. He then played several video clips of the action undertaken against the Afghan Taliban.

He further stated that Afghan media and their proxies were floating lies on social media regarding the targeting of civilians.

“At no place was any civilian infrastructure targeted. These are all military targets. These are all the infrastructure from where Pakistan was attacked,” he asserted.

He also played a clip showing Pakistan Army soldiers taking down the Afghan flag and hoisting Pakistan’s flag at a checkpost along the Pak-Afghan border.

“The nation is proud of these soldiers who have rendered their lives, their sweat and their blood for the protection of the land and the honour of the people of Pakistan,” he said.

“Whether on ground or in the air, the armed forces of Pakistan gave an effective, immediate and brutal response; a well-deserved response to the terrorists and their facilitators,” he said.

He went on to say that the Afghan Taliban were threatening that they would respond to Pakistan.

“We saw that they also tried to use some rudimentary sort of drones for attacking Abbottabad and Nowshera. However, the anti-drone system over there and the effective deployment took them out,” he said.

He added that this “again showed” how Afghan Taliban had become a “master proxy”.

“It is difficult to distinguish where the Taliban regime ends and where the terrorism starts. The lines have blurred. Therefore, it is necessary to make it clear that if anyone tries to carry out any terrorist activity in Pakistan … its response will be given to terrorists, their guardians, and those who protect them. No place will be safe for them as we also have equal rights,” he said.

During the question-answer portion, the DG ISPR was asked about credible information pointing to India’s involvement in the recent attack.

“It is absolutely clear that Indian sponsorship, abettment and design are behind any terrorist incident in Pakistan. The base of the operation is… they use the area that is under the oppressive regime of the Afghan Taliban. So that is how they work.”

He further said: “Pakistan armed forces … are always vigilant.”

In response to another question, the DG ISPR said that the Afghan Taliban regime had signed the Doha accord and had made certain promises “while presenting a different face to the world”.

“They made promises in writing. They promised an inclusive government. Is there an inclusive government there? That women’s rights will be respected. Are women’s rights being respected there? Do they get equal opportunity?”

He said that the Afghan Taliban had also vowed that its territory would not be used for terrorism.

He said that while “clarity” regarding the Afghan Taliban did not exist before, it did now.

“We now have supreme clarity. Your civil leadership, your military leadership, your intelligentsia, your media, the children of this country; there is absolute clarity about what the Afghan Taliban regime is,” he said.

He said that the whole world was also saying the same.

“We are the bulwark state which is standing against this terrorism. It is not only Pakistan; the threat is to the whole region. Not to the whole region [but] to the whole world,” he said.

The DG ISPR said that “everyone understands” that the actions taken by Pakistan last night were in self-defence and for the safety of the people.

“Everyone understands that,” he said. He recalled clashes with Afghanistan in October last year, saying friendly countries had understood Pakistan’s stance at that time.

He further stated that the whole nation was united in the war against terrorism.

“Let there be no doubt — whatever political divisions we may have, whatever different political perspectives we may have; all political parties, all political leaderships are absolutely clear that no place can be given to terrorism and its facilitation in Pakistan,” he said.

He recalled the National Action Plan of 2014, saying that political parties were behind it.

“Since then, all political parties … have always respected, followed, and said yes to this revised NAP, which is now called vision Azm-i-Istehkam,” he said.

He also talked about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, paying tribute to the province’s police force.

“Is there anyone who denies their sacrifices and martyrdom. [Is there anyone who] … is not standing with them. No one. The whole nation is together,” he said.

“I must take this opportunity to give our biggest homage to the very brave and proud police of KP, which are on the frontline,” he said, adding: “We are proud of them. The nation salutes them.”

In response to another question, the DG ISPR said that the number of Afghan Taliban operatives and terrorists killed was 274 as of now, but was “much higher”.

“I have said it earlier, that the distinction between the master proxy and terrorists … it has blurred,” he said, adding that they were acting “more or less” the same.

He further said that the operation against the Taliban regime was ongoing.

“The operation is continuing. It is under the instructions of the prime minister of Pakistan, the civil leadership. And we are achieving the desired results,” he said.

He reiterated that the Afghan Taliban regime “has to make a choice”.

“They have to choose between Pakistan, and the terrorists and terrorism. Our choice is absolutely clear. Our first and last choice is Pakistan, its security, and the protection of its people,” he said.