In a landmark press conference on 23rd May 2025, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry presented a meticulously documented account of the heinous Khuzdar school bus attack, framing it within a broader regional pattern of Indian state-sponsored terrorism. Flanked by Interior Secretary Capt (retd) Khurram Muhammad Agha, the DG ISPR exposed the structural use of proxies by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), especially in Balochistan, to destabilize Pakistan and delegitimize its sovereignty.
The Khuzdar School Bus Attack: A New Low in Proxy Violence
On May 21, 2025, a school bus en route to the Army Public School in Khuzdar was targeted by a bomb blast that killed six, including three children, and injured over 40. The DG ISPR described this as part of a desperate shift in tactics by Indian-backed proxies, targeting softer civilian infrastructure after failing to breach hard security targets. Capt Agha characterized it as an assault on Pakistan’s identity and future.
India’s Hybrid Warfare and Strategic Doctrine
Lt Gen Ahmed contextualized these attacks within a long-standing Indian doctrine of asymmetric warfare. Citing the 2009 dossier, the capture of RAW operative Kulbhushan Jadhav in 2016, and UN-documented evidence in 2020, the DG presented a continuum of Indian-sponsored subversion. He proved RAW of financing and directing terror groups like the BalochistanLiberation Army (BLA), which have openly pledged allegiance to Indian objectives in exchange for support.
Coordinated Escalation: Propaganda and Proxy Attacks
Events like the Karachi attack on the Chinese envoy (Oct 2024) and Jaffer Express hijacking (Mar 2025) were presented as case studies of this coordinated strategy. DG ISPR revealed how cryptic pre-incident social media posts from RAW-linked accounts foreshadowed these attacks, further affirming the role of hybrid aggression under India’s far-right leadership. He invoked statements by figures like Ajit Doval and Manohar Parrikar to highlight how Indian policy officially endorses the use of terrorism as statecraft.
Fitnah al Hindustan: Redefining Counterterrorism
A central theme was the introduction of the term “Fitnah al Hindustan”—a designation for India-backed militant networks. This allows Pakistan to integrate legal, military, and information responses under one doctrine, streamlining its counterterrorism policy. The DG emphasized these acts violate Baloch values and culture, which reject external manipulation.
National Resilience and Counter-Policy Measures
Pakistan’s response has included 93,000 counterterrorism operations in the past 18 months, eliminating over 200 terrorists in Balochistan. Illegal trade routes have been disrupted, and undocumented Afghan nationals are being repatriated to sever logistical links with foreign-backed terrorists.
Indian Media’s Role in State-Sponsored Terrorism
The DG ISPR directly presented Indian media for serving as an echo chamber for military and political elites advocating war against Pakistan. Channels glorified attacks like Khuzdar and Jaffer Express, while preemptive social media campaigns celebrated the violence. He exposed how Indian media acts hand in glove with intelligence operations, weaponizing public discourse to manufacture consent for aggression.
Exposing the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC)
DG ISPR also accused BYC leadership of providing ideological cover for terrorist groups under the pretense of human rights. Their silence after the Khuzdar attack was criticized as hypocrisy. Upon a question regarding this two faced policy of BYC, he urged journalists to unmask the BYC’s true face as he said it is media’s job to provide the public with the right information after analyzing the patterns of such actors.
India-Afghanistan Nexus: Strategic Design, Not Coincidence
Addressing a question on Afghanistan, DG ISPR outlined India’s historical use of Afghan territory to destabilize Pakistan. Regardless of who has ruled Kabul—monarchs, communists, or the Taliban—India’s strategy has remained consistent: treat neighbors as enemies and neighbor’s neighbors as allies. He called India “the epicenter of regional destabilization,” citing this doctrine as integral to Indian strategic culture.
Yet, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s civilizational bond with Afghanistan and urged Kabul to take action against terrorists. He stated that Pakistan values the life of one Pakistani over a thousand Afghans—not to diminish Afghan lives, but to assert Pakistan’s sovereign right to defend its citizens.
International Confirmation: Global Voices on Indian Involvement
DG ISPR’s claims are echoed by global actors. Sarah Adams, former CIA targeting officer, revealed that India has used Taliban-linked networks to target Sikhs, Kashmiris, and Pakistanis. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel admitted India had “financed problems for Pakistan” from Afghanistan. These revelations bolster Pakistan’s claims and challenge India’s narrative of moral superiority.
Conclusion: Reframing the Security Paradigm
DG ISPR’s press conference marks a turning point in Pakistan’s counter-narrative strategy. It repositions Pakistan not as a source of instability, but as a frontline state surviving a state-sponsored hybrid war. By combining military operations with diplomatic engagement and narrative warfare, Pakistan aims to shift the global conversation from deniability to accountability.
The Khuzdar attack, while tragic, catalyzed national unity and policy recalibration. The message from Rawalpindi is clear: peace is desired, but not at the cost of sovereignty and civilian lives. India’s covert war has been unmasked—and the world can no longer afford to look away.
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