DG ISPR presents retired soldier alive, debunks Indian claim of killing ex-SSG man in Kashmir
DG ISPR presents retired soldier alive, debunks Indian claim of killing ex-SSG man in Kashmir
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday presented a retired Pakistan Army soldier alive before the media, rejecting Indian claims that the man had been killed as a militant in an operation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The soldier, retired Havildar Muhammad Asif, appeared at a press conference in Rawalpindi after Indian authorities and media outlets claimed over the past few days that a former Special Services Group (SSG) commando by the same name had been killed across the Line of Control. Asif denied every part of the claim.
How the Indian claim unfolded
Lt Gen Chaudhry laid out the timeline as Pakistan saw it. On the night of September 29, the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps posted on social media about a joint search operation in the general area of Korag, Yousmarg, in which one person was reported killed.
About seven hours later, on the morning of September 30, the Indian military issued an update saying the body of a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist identified as Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa had been recovered along with war-like stores near Palmaidan.
Soon after, the Indian news agency ANI published detailed personal records of the alleged militant, claiming he was born on March 7, 1980, had joined the Pakistan Army in 2000 under service number PA-3106947, had risen to Havildar and had been inducted into the SSG in 2005. Indian media then linked him to a four-member Lashkar group operating in Kashmir.
The DG ISPR said Pakistan’s position was that the identification kept shifting, from an unnamed militant to Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa to a former Pakistani SSG soldier, and that this shifting account was itself suspicious.
‘I am alive and standing before you’
Asif told the media he belonged to Pindi Gheb in Attock district and lived with his family in Rawalpindi. He said friends had told him that reports were circulating on social media claiming he had been killed by the Indian Army in Kashmir, and that he began receiving calls from Indian numbers after his details were broadcast.
“I was sitting at home, yet they were claiming to have killed me in Kashmir,” he said, adding that he had informed his former unit and the ISPR so the record could remain clear.
Asif said he had joined the Pakistan Army in 2000, joined the SSG in 2005 and retired in 2023 after 18 years of service. After retirement he worked for three years with a private security company and now runs a small business from home. “Alhamdulillah, I am alive and standing before you today. There is no doubt about my identity,” he said, adding that he carried his official CNIC and military identity documents.
He rejected the allegations linking him to cross-border terrorism as false, fabricated and baseless.
Pakistan’s warning to India
Lt Gen Chaudhry described the episode as another false flag operation and said such claims recalled earlier Indian assertions around the Uri and Pahalgam incidents. Pakistan had previously offered an investigation into the Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025, which Islamabad had rejected any involvement in.
The DG ISPR warned that Pakistan would not leave any future Indian action unanswered, and said India should know what Pakistan was capable of doing in response. He added that Pakistan remained committed to the Mecca Alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, and that its role in protecting Saudi Arabia and the holy sites was clear.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Muhammad Asif?
Muhammad Asif is a retired Pakistan Army soldier from Pindi Gheb, Attock, who says he joined the army in 2000, was inducted into the SSG in 2005 and retired as a Havildar in 2023.
What did India claim about him?
Indian authorities and media said a militant named Mohammad Asif alias Hashim Musa, described as a former Pakistani SSG commando and Lashkar-e-Taiba member, had been killed in an operation in the Korag, Yousmarg area of Indian-administered Kashmir on September 29-30.
How did Pakistan respond?
DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry presented Asif alive at a press conference on Thursday, called the Indian claim a false flag operation, and pointed to what he described as a shifting Indian identification of the person killed.
When did the DG ISPR press conference take place?
The press conference was held on Thursday, October 1, in Rawalpindi.
