Pakistan raises alarm over Afghanistan-based terrorist groups at UNSC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that multiple terrorist groups continued to operate from safe havens in Afghanistan, posing a growing threat to regional security.

Speaking at a UNSC briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad urged the Taliban authorities to ensure that Afghan territory was not used by any terrorist organization against other countries.

“The situation in Afghanistan remains deeply alarming,” he said, noting that several groups continued to operate in what he described as an increasingly permissive environment since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

The ambassador specifically cited the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade, Daesh, East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Al Qaeda affiliates among the groups Pakistan says have access to safe havens in Afghanistan.

He said sustained international counterterrorism efforts had weakened groups such as IS, but the terrorist threat continued to evolve, particularly in Afghanistan, Africa and the Middle East.

Ahmad said IS-K remained a significant concern despite setbacks, including those resulting from Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations.

He also called for international action against what Pakistan described as external sponsors of terrorism, stressing the need for a coordinated global response.

The ambassador separately highlighted the Kashmir issue, saying India’s August 5, 2019 decision to revoke the region’s special constitutional status had ushered in a new phase of repression against Kashmiris.

He accused India of “state terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the international community to maintain “zero tolerance” for such actions.

Ahmad cautioned against using counterterrorism efforts as a pretext to suppress what Pakistan considers legitimate struggles for self-determination, calling for an approach free from double standards and selectivity.

His remarks came a day after the fourth US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in Washington, where the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorist organizations and strengthening security cooperation.

Concluding his remarks, the ambassador said terrorism “knows no borders” and “has no religion”, stressing the need for concerted international efforts to counter the threat.