New York, 21 December 2023 (TDI): Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, stated at the United Nations Security Council’s UNAMA briefing on Afghanistan.
Ambassador Akram stressed that peace in Afghanistan is a strategic imperative for Pakistan, while noting that the interim Afghan authorities have brought some modicum of stability to Afghanistan.
In his remarks during the briefing at the Security Council, Ambassador Akram termed Kabul as complex and enduring challenge for Pakistan. He said Pakistan was facing major security threat from TTP that was responsible for organizing cross-border terrorist attacks on Pakistan.
Munir Akram continued that it is clear that the TTP has been given free rein to conduct cross-border attacks against Pakistan’s border outposts and other installations. We have clear evidence that the TTP receives support from our main adversary
The Ambassador added that any process of engagement with the Interim Afghan Government should be conducted on the basis of the action that it takes against these terrorist organizations.
Moreover, any process of engagement with the Afghan Interim Government should be guided by its response to the core concerns of the international community, including respect for human rights, political inclusivity, and action to neutralize the terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.
Talking about the weapons, the Ambassador said that the weapons obviously originate from the considerable stocks left behind by foreign forces. Yet, the question is that how did the TTP, a listed terrorist organization, secured these weapons?
Pakistan demands that the UN, whether UNAMA or another agency, conduct a thorough investigation to determine as to how these weapons got in the hands of the TTP and to identify ways to retrieving them.
He also mentioned that Pakistan is implementing Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan as humanly as possible. There is no forcible return, except for those Afghans with criminal record.
Furthermore, in his comments he stated that 98% of over 244,000 Afghans who departed through the crossings of Torkham and Chamman, did so voluntarily.
He said that we have made exceptions for those who have proof of registration, and for those who have the Afghan citizenship cards and now also for those who are considered vulnerable.
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Besides the security threat posed by the terrorist ‘sleeper cells,’ many of these illegals are involved in drug trafficking, operate property mafias and other crimes and inflow of such large numbers has had a negative impact on Pakistan’s economy and job market.
He also pinpointed the approximately 60,000 Afghans who are waiting for two years to be relocated to the 3rd countries and we urge those 3rd countries to accelerate their process to receive these people who they have agreed to and lighten the burden on Pakistan.
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