DG ISPR says citizens must fulfil obligations before demanding rights

Addressing a press conference on the country’s security situation, particularly in Balochistan, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said security forces carried out 40,348 operations during the year.

2,084 terrorists killed, 819 people martyred in 2026

He said 7,177 operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 31,080 in Balochistan, and 2,091 in other parts of the country.

The DG ISPR said 3,145 terrorist attacks were recorded during the period, including 1,971 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,148 in Balochistan and 26 in other areas.

He said security forces conducted an average of 194 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) every day.

Bullet-riddled bodies of six abducted labourers found in Turbat

According to the DG ISPR, a total of 2,084 terrorists were killed, while 819 people were martyred, including 303 Pakistan Army soldiers, 194 personnel of law enforcement agencies and 322 civilians.

Unfortunately, we are not a “hard state”

Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that unfortunately we are not a “hard state”, explaining that a hard state was one where all matters were governed according to the Constitution and law without any form of elitism.

“Being a hard state does not mean that the military runs the state or that the armed forces dominate the state, which is a perception being created in Pakistan,” the DG ISPR said.

He said a hard state was one where the Constitution and laws applied equally to everyone and all affairs were conducted within the legal framework.

Citizens fulfil their obligations before demanding rights

On rights and obligations, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that while grievances may be genuine, citizens must fulfil their constitutional obligations before demanding their rights.

He said some political groups frequently spoke about rights and grievances, but questioned whether they were equally conscious of their responsibilities.

“We are all talking about grievances. In the name of rights and grievances, slogans are being raised and even weapons are being raised,” he said, adding that he did not deny the legitimacy of genuine grievances.

However, he stressed that obligations come before rights. Referring to Article 5 of the Constitution, the DG ISPR said every citizen’s foremost duty was loyalty to the state and obedience to the Constitution and the law.

“Our Constitution is very clear. We all have certain fundamental responsibilities. First, we must be loyal to the state, and then we can talk about our rights,” he said.

Lt Gen Chaudhry added that the primary identity of every citizen should be that of a Pakistani rather than an ethnic identity.