DG ISPR: Pakistan Ahead in Drone Warfare Readiness
Pakistan is ahead in drone warfare readiness when compared with the Afghan Taliban and India, the military spokesperson has said. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters on Friday, which aired on local media on Sunday.
Asked whether Islamabad worried about drone use by the Afghan Taliban, given the growth of drone warfare in Middle East conflicts, he said it was a narrow concern. The Afghan Taliban, he added, had no military capability of their own, only capability provided by sponsors.
He then pointed to the May 2025 conflict with India, when Pakistan shot down dozens of highly sophisticated drones sent from across the eastern border. He said those drones were turned to dust wherever they appeared, which underlines how far ahead Pakistan stands in operational readiness.
Drone warfare readiness and the changing character of war
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the Pakistan Army is adapting in a professional and well thought out way to the changing character of warfare. He listed non-contact warfare, contact warfare, cyber warfare, drones and long-range missions, and said the army is fully aware of the capabilities it needs now and in the future.
He also warned that the spread of non-contact warfare to non-state actors, including the Taliban, the Khawarij and the Houthis, poses a threat to every state, which will have to re-evaluate its security architecture.
On artificial intelligence, he declined to discuss specifics of how the military uses AI, quantum technology or cyber technology to identify targets, but added that such tools can and should be used. He summed up his position in one line: Pakistan is a technology-savvy army.
What this means for Pakistan and the Afghan border
The remarks matter because drone incursions have become a recurring feature of the border standoff. Dawn reported September fighting that included Pakistani airstrikes, drone incursions Islamabad said were shot down, and further retaliatory strikes, followed by October skirmishes in Kurram and Lower South Waziristan’s Angoor Adda. Feature Pakistan covered the Angoor Adda claims in Pakistan Rejects Afghan Claims on Angoor Adda Incident.
The wider backdrop is a dispute over terrorist sanctuaries. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to dismantle sanctuaries linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), used for attacks in Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded, while the Afghan Taliban have avoided a categorical position on the TTP.
The same region also carries the parallel Iran crisis, covered in Iran War Warning After Trump Strike Threat.
Taliban as proxy claim and the call to act like a state
Lt Gen Chaudhry accused the Afghan Taliban of being a proxy of India, which he described as the biggest terror sponsor, with the TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as the proxies in Pakistan’s case. He also named the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jaish al-Adl, Al Qaeda and Islamic State Khorasan Province, and said United Nations reports and other countries’ intelligence assessments say the same.
Principal obstacle to normal relations
Frequently asked questions
What did the DG ISPR say about drone warfare readiness?
He said Pakistan is much ahead in operational readiness compared with the Afghan Taliban and India, and pointed to dozens of highly sophisticated drones shot down during the May 2025 conflict with India.
When was the interview given and aired?
The interview with Reuters took place on Friday, and the remarks aired on local media on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Did he say Pakistan uses AI to pick targets in Afghanistan?
No. He declined to discuss specifics of how the military uses AI, quantum technology or cyber technology, but said such tools can and should be used.
Why does Pakistan link the issue to the Afghan Taliban?
Islamabad says the Taliban administration has failed to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, and that this failure blocks normal relations.
Does Pakistan want to isolate Afghanistan?
No. Lt Gen Chaudhry opposed isolation and said the international community should instead press the Taliban to act like a state, while Pakistan keeps engaging with its neighbour.
