Pakistan has warned the United Nations Security Council that terrorist groups operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan remain the single greatest threat to its national security.
Addressing a Security Council session on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that groups such as Al-Qaeda, Daesh-Khorasan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and Baloch terrorist outfits including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Majid Brigade continue to operate across the border.
“We have clear evidence of collaboration among these groups — joint training, arms trafficking, provision of safe havens, and coordinated attacks,” he told the Council.
According to UN envoy, over 60 terrorist camps are being used as infiltration bases to target civilians, security personnel, and development projects inside the country.
Call for Stronger International Action
Ambassador Ahmad highlighted that the threat also extends to cyberspace, where nearly 70 propaganda accounts linked to Afghan IP addresses are spreading extremist content. He stressed that governments and social media platforms must work together to dismantle these networks.
He also informed the Council that Pakistan and China have jointly requested the UN sanctions committee to designate the BLA and Majid Brigade as terrorist organizations, urging immediate action to curb their activities.
Referring to the TTP, he described it as the largest UN-listed terrorist group based in Afghanistan, with an estimated 6,000 fighters. He further noted that Pakistan has foiled several cross-border infiltration attempts and seized advanced military equipment left behind after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
“Pakistan continues to pay a heavy price for terrorism. Just this month, 12 of our soldiers lost their lives in a single incident,” the envoy stated.
Afghanistan’s Lingering Crises
The Pakistani envoy acknowledged that while Taliban rule had ended decades of civil war, Afghanistan remains trapped in sanctions, poverty, narcotics, and human rights challenges.
He expressed deep concern that the UN’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has received only 27 percent of the required $2.42 billion.
Recalling Pakistan’s long-standing role, he reminded the Council that the country has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for more than forty years, despite inadequate international support.
