Pakistan’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, urged the United Nations to take immediate action to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hub for terrorism.
Addressing a UN General Assembly plenary session on July 8, 2025, Ambassador Iftikhar labeled the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a significant regional and global threat, calling for measures to mitigate its activities.
“We must ensure that Afghanistan does not become a breeding ground for terrorists that threaten not just its neighbors but the region and beyond,” he stated. Pakistan has consistently highlighted its concerns regarding Afghan soil being used by various terror groups for cross-border attacks.
The ambassador emphasized that terrorism originating from Afghanistan poses serious risks, particularly to neighboring Pakistan. Groups like TTP, Daesh, and Al-Qaeda are operating out of ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan, with TTP identified as the largest UN-designated terrorist group in the region, housing approximately 6,000 fighters.
Ambassador Iftikhar warned of increasing cross-recruitment between groups like the TTP and Daesh, as well as their use of advanced weaponry and ammunition to launch coordinated and sophisticated attacks on Pakistan. Recent evidence also suggests collaboration between the TTP and organizations such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), targeting strategic infrastructure projects.
“Afghanistan must not become a safe haven for terrorism against any other country,” he urged, while presenting credible evidence of these alliances and their destabilizing regional impact.
Highlighting the broader implications of Afghanistan’s instability, Ambassador Iftikhar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fostering regional peace through initiatives like TAPI, CASA-1000, and the expansion of the CPEC project into Afghanistan. He called for equitable burden-sharing by the international community, particularly in addressing the influx of over one million undocumented individuals into Pakistan since August 2021.
