Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry presents former SSG Havildar Muhammad Asif alive before media, accuses India of promoting a fabricated narrative
RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday rejected an Indian military claim that a Pakistani Special Services Group (SSG) havildar had been killed during an operation, presenting the retired soldier alive at a press conference in Rawalpindi.
The DG ISPR referred to an incident reported by Indian forces last month, which he characterised as a “false flag” operation staged by India’s political and military establishment.
According to Chaudhry, an Indian military formation deployed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir had claimed on social media that it had killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant. He said the Indian military subsequently identified the man as Muhammad Asif, also referred to as Hashim Musa, and alleged that he had previously served in the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group.
Retired Soldier Appears Before Media
Muhammad Asif appeared alongside the DG ISPR during the press conference and said he was alive and had been residing in his native district of Attock since retiring from the Pakistan Army in 2023.
Asif said he was surprised to learn that the Indian Army had reported him dead.
Chaudhry cited Asif’s appearance as evidence that the Indian account was fabricated and argued that allegations against Pakistan should be supported by verifiable evidence.
He reiterated Pakistan’s position that if India possesses evidence concerning any incident, it should present that material through an appropriate forum.
DG ISPR Accuses India of ‘False Flag’ Operations
The DG ISPR accused New Delhi of repeatedly staging false flag operations to conceal what he described as India’s own involvement in terrorism.
He further alleged that India was sponsoring terrorism, destabilising neighbouring countries and targeting Muslims and other minorities within India. These assertions represented the Pakistani military spokesperson’s allegations against New Delhi.
Chaudhry also claimed that the alleged pattern of false flag operations had encouraged India to engage in transnational killings.
He described the latest episode as an example of what he called a fabricated narrative against Pakistan.
The DG ISPR said Pakistan remained prepared to respond to any aggression and would reject attempts to malign the country through what he described as manufactured allegations.
Pakistan Will Not Compromise on Territorial Integrity
Responding to a question about militant threats originating from Afghanistan, Chaudhry said Pakistan’s policy was clear and that there would be no compromise on the country’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.
He maintained that Pakistan possessed the right to self-defence while stressing that Islamabad had no hostility towards Afghanistan or the Afghan people.
The DG ISPR instead directed his criticism towards the Afghan Taliban administration, describing it as non-inclusive, non-representative and unelected.
Pakistan Reaffirms Commitment to Makkah Alliance
Answering another question, Chaudhry reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the Makkah Alliance.
He also reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the security and sanctity of Harmain al-Sharifain and Saudi Arabia.
