Pakistan is well ahead in its operational readiness against drone threats and can intercept any drone sent across its borders from Afghanistan or India, the military's spokesman, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said. He made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with an international news agency on Friday, which state media released on Sunday.
The comments come amid continuing tension between Islamabad and Kabul. Asked whether the Afghan Taliban could use drones against Pakistan in the way Yemen's Houthis have used them against Saudi Arabia, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the character of warfare had changed and the army was adapting, preparing for both conventional and "non-contact" warfare, including drones, cyber operations and long-range munitions.
He claimed Afghanistan had no drone industry or technology of its own. "It's been provided by the sponsors, the terror sponsors, because the biggest terror sponsor here is India," he said, alleging that the Afghan Taliban were acting as India's proxy in terrorism inside Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban have previously rejected such accusations.
Referring to the earlier conflict with India, he said Pakistani forces had brought down dozens of sophisticated Indian drones. Afghanistan could attempt to send drones, he said, but Pakistan had the capability to intercept them, and Kabul could not absorb the retaliation Pakistan was capable of delivering.
Asked about artificial intelligence, he said the army was absorbing every technology needed to keep pace with the changing nature of war, but declined to discuss specific uses of AI, quantum technology or cyber capabilities. "We are a technology-savvy army," he said.
In the same interview, according to sources, the ISPR chief warned that the Afghan Taliban government would pay a heavy price if it did not stop supporting terrorism in Pakistan. He alleged that Afghanistan-based groups supply weapons and support to the banned TTP and BLA, and urged the international community to press the Taliban to curb terrorism and drug production.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has rejected Pakistan's allegations, according to sources, saying Pakistan's security problems are not linked to Afghan soil and blaming Islamabad's policies for the deterioration in relations between the two countries.