What Changed After Pakistan ISI Got New Chief? Top Border Officer Shares Details

NDTV

21-05-2025

There has been a massive increase in the recovery of weapons and the downing of drones sent by Pakistan this year, a top official guarding the border in the northwestern state has told NDTV.
This follows Pakistan's spy agency getting a new chief who had "sinister designs" against India, said AK Vidyarthi, Deputy Inspector General of the Border Security Force-Punjab, pointing to the increased sabotage activities in the border state.
Punjab shares an international boundary spanning over 400 km with Pakistan and was a major front during the 1971 war.
ISI's Sinister Design
DIG Vidyarthi, who heads the BSF operations in Punjab, said that since Asim Malik took charge as the Pakistan ISI's chief on September 30, several changes were seen in the security dynamics in the border areas.
"From November onwards, we started seeing incidents of sabotage in Punjab. Come January, we saw that the pushing of arms through drones has increased. If we compare the first three and a half months of 2024 and 2025, there was an increase of 400% in seized weapons," he said.
The number of drones downed had doubled during this period, he added.
Significantly, this period was followed by a ghastly terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The attack by Pakistan-linked terrorists had left at least 26 civilians dead.
DIG Vidyarthi said that on April 21, for the first time on Punjab's soil, the BSF seized a big consignment of grenades, pistols, explosives, a remote, and batteries. Similar consignments were recovered on April 24, April 30, and even during the latest conflict.
The conflict saw Pakistan targeting several cities and military bases in India with missiles and drones after the Indian forces hit nine terror bases across the border and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). The threats were swiftly neutralised by the Indian air defence.
A Strategic Location
NDTV caught up with DIG Vidyarthi at a border outpost in Punjab, right opposite to Muridke in Pakistan. This is an enclave area, surrounded by Pakistan on three sides, with only one side accessible to us, he explained. "This area is very sensitive and strategically important due to its proximity to both Muridke and Lahore (in Pakistan), and Amritsar," he said.
Speaking about Pakistan, DIG Vidyarthi reiterated the popular phrase, "Every country has an army, but Pakistan army has a country" - pointing to the upper hand that Pakistan's military has over their elected government.
"The ISI chief had some sinister designs for India. As soon as he took over, he started peddling his nefarious resources towards destabilising India. This was evident," he said.
BSF Ready For Any Aggression
On the current situation between India and Pakistan and the lack of trust, he recalled how Pakistan has historically tried to cause disturbance in India.
"Several of their heads of state had a military background. They are always on the lookout for how to disturb India and continue their dictatorship in Pakistan," he said.
But he asserted that the BSF is ready to counter any aggression.
"The BSF's border deployment has four aspects - defence system, men, weapons, and surveillance equipment. We are fully prepared on all these aspects. We are ready to neutralise any aggression. Our synergy with the Army is better than what I had previously thought," he said.