United Nations (TDI): Pakistan has warned the United Nations Security Council that militant groups operating from inside Afghanistan now pose the most serious danger to its national security and territorial integrity.
Speaking at a UNSC discussion on the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that Islamabad’s concerns have deepened despite its continued diplomatic outreach and support for the Afghan people since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.
The ambassador told the Security Council that Pakistan had kept channels open with the Taliban authorities, facilitated humanitarian aid, eased trade and transit procedures, and engaged in several high-level meetings. Yet, he noted, Pakistan has experienced a significant rise in militant attacks that he said were planned and executed from Afghan territory.
According to Ambassador Ahmad, Afghanistan has once again become a refuge for various terrorist outfits and proxy groups. He stated that Pakistan has lost nearly 1,200 people this year alone in attacks linked to militants based across the border. Since 2022, more than 214 Afghan militants have been killed in Pakistan during security operations, he added.
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He named the TTP, Al-Qaeda, the Baloch Liberation Army, and the Majeed Brigade among the groups allegedly enjoying safe haven in Afghanistan. He also said that sophisticated foreign military equipment, left behind during the US withdrawal, has found its way into the hands of these groups.
The ambassador further said that elements within the Taliban themselves were enabling these networks by allowing movement across the border and turning a blind eye to their activities. He said Pakistan had credible evidence of coordination among various militant factions, including joint training and shared access to weapons and shelter.
Ahmad also suggested that a hostile regional actor was taking advantage of the situation by stepping up support, financial, technical, and material, for groups targeting Pakistan from Afghan soil.
He urged the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to intensify monitoring of arms smuggling and to give a clear assessment of the border situation, stressing that cross-border militancy was at the heart of recent tensions between the two countries.
The envoy reiterated that Pakistan had tried to work with the Taliban leadership, including in recent engagements in Doha and Istanbul, and expressed appreciation for Qatar and Türkiye for facilitating these talks. However, he warned that if the Taliban failed to act against terrorist groups, Pakistan would be forced to take necessary defensive steps to protect its people.
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Ambassador Ahmad also raised the issue of Afghan refugees, reminding the Security Council that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghans for decades despite its own economic constraints.
With the conflict in Afghanistan officially over, he said, Pakistan expects an organized and dignified return of refugees to their homeland, while continuing to assist them within its capacity. He also pointed to Pakistan’s visa regime, under which more than half a million medical visas had been issued to Afghans since late 2023.
He stressed that Pakistan wants to see a peaceful and stable Afghanistan that is connected economically with the region, but warned against allowing outside players with disruptive agendas to use bilateral engagement as a means of destabilization.
“No country has a greater stake in Afghanistan’s peace than Pakistan,” he said, adding that the country has suffered immensely from decades of instability across the border.
He called on the international community to remain engaged with Afghanistan, provide humanitarian aid, and support efforts aimed at regional stability.
