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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan sharply criticized India and Afghanistan at the United Nations on Monday, warning that terrorism emanating from Afghan territory threatens not only Pakistan but the broader region.&nbsp;Speaking during a United Nations Security Council session on Afghanistan, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said terrorist activity operating from Afghan soil posed a serious international security challenge and required urgent attention.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 649px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2031174643017716063&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=123c32013f3d4a9038fd149b8267de9550693c01&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2031174643017716063"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Terrorism emanating from Afghan soil poses a grave threat not only to its immediate neighbors, but also to the broader region and beyond, undermining regional and international peace and security,&rdquo; Ahmad told the council.&nbsp;He warned that the consequences of militancy in Afghanistan would extend beyond Pakistan&rsquo;s borders if not addressed.&nbsp;&ldquo;We would like to warn that the spillover effects of the terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will not remain confined to Pakistan,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan following cross-border clashes and Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing retaliatory campaign, Operation Ghazab lil Haq, launched after repeated terrorist attacks from Afghan territory.&nbsp;Pakistani officials say the operation targets militant infrastructure used to facilitate cross-border terrorism, a position repeatedly emphasized by Islamabad in international forums.&nbsp;Ahmad told the council that Pakistan&rsquo;s counterterrorism actions were defensive and not directed at Afghan civilians.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan&#39;s legitimate counterterrorism operations are not directed against the brotherly people of Afghanistan and are only meant to neutralize the persistent threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil,&rdquo; he said, adding that the actions were carried out in accordance with the right to self-defense and international humanitarian law.&nbsp;The ambassador said Pakistan had previously supported diplomatic engagement with the Taliban authorities in Kabul, hoping they would address global concerns regarding terrorism, human rights and inclusive governance.&nbsp;However, he said expectations that Afghan territory would not be used by terrorist groups had not been fulfilled.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have lost thousands of lives to terrorism-related incidents since the Taliban takeover,&rdquo; Ahmad said, adding that &ldquo;just last month, more than 175 innocent Pakistani lives were lost, including in three suicide attacks.&rdquo;&nbsp;He reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s position remained unchanged.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan&#39;s demand from Afghanistan has always been singular and clear: verifiable and non-reversible action against terrorists,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Ahmad also delivered strong criticism of India&rsquo;s role in Afghanistan, saying New Delhi&rsquo;s policies in the country have long been aimed at undermining Pakistan&rsquo;s stability.&nbsp;&ldquo;Given India&#39;s animosity towards Pakistan and the sole objective of its Afghan policy being to destabilize Pakistan, including by actively supporting and sponsoring terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil such as TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] and BLA [Balochistan Liberation Army], the remarks of the Indian representative come as no surprise,&rdquo; he told the council.&nbsp;He said Pakistan had previously presented evidence regarding what it described as India&rsquo;s links with terrorist groups operating in the region.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have provided irrefutable evidence of India&#39;s collusion with terrorist groups that are engaged in orchestrating violent attacks against Pakistan,&rdquo; Ahmad said.&nbsp;During his right of reply, Ahmad said Pakistan remained committed to stability in Afghanistan but emphasized that lasting peace would depend on concrete action by the Taliban authorities.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Taliban must, first and foremost, ensure that their territory is not used for terrorism against neighboring countries and take demonstrable steps to deny space to terrorist groups and proxies,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Pakistan, he added, had consistently supported peace and stability in Afghanistan, noting that no country had suffered more from the consequences of decades of conflict there than Pakistan.

Foreign Affairs

Speaking at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s envoy warns that terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory threaten regional stability, urges Taliban authorities to take verifiable action, and rejects India’s criticism during a heated diplomatic exchange

Pakistan slams India, Afghanistan at UN over cross-border terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Russia&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry has estimated that Afghanistan hosts between 20,000 and 23,000 fighters from various international terrorist groups, raising concerns over regional security, according to Afghan media.&nbsp;Ariana News, quoting Russia&#39;s foreign ministry, reported that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals. Among the larger groups, it cited around 3,000 Daesh fighters, 5,000-7,000 from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-warns-ttp-emerging-as-significant-regional-threat-from-afghan-soil" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)</a>, and 400 to 1,500 from al Qaeda. Smaller groups reportedly include the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU/Turkestan Islamic Party), and Jamaat Ansarullah.&nbsp;The assessment noted that Daesh remains hostile toward Afghan authorities but lacks the ability to seize territory, focusing instead on undermining public confidence.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2025934201611252211&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=0f788f5019564c51946ce9062ca401b85a0de722&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban-led Interim Afghan government, rejected the report.&nbsp;Speaking to TOLO News, he claimed Afghanistan is under a unified authority, and no foreign terrorist groups operate freely within its borders.&nbsp;Mujahid dismissed Russia&rsquo;s report as politically motivated, drawing parallels with similar allegations made during the US occupation.&nbsp; &ldquo;Afghanistan is secure, and these reports do not reflect ground realities,&rdquo; he said, urging Russia to base its assessments on objective facts.

Afghanistan

Its foreign ministry says that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals. Among the larger groups, it cited around 3,000 Daesh fighters, 5,000 to 7,000 from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and 400 to 1,500 from al Qaeda.

Articles tagged with "terrorist groups in Afghanistan"

Pakistan slams India, Afghanistan at UN over cross-border terrorism

Russia estimates up to 23,000 terrorists present in Afghanistan