NEW YORK: Pakistan has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to prioritize addressing the growing threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, calling it a matter of urgent concern for regional stability.
Speaking at a UNSC session on Monday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, expressed deep concern over Afghanistan’s role as a safe haven for various terrorist groups.
He highlighted the Taliban government’s failure to effectively eliminate ISIS/Daesh and its tolerance of other militant organizations. Ambassador Akram accused the Taliban of complicity in cross-border attacks against Pakistan, particularly by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), including its Majeed Brigade.
During the meeting, the UNSC extended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year. Akram, however, stressed that the Council must move beyond extensions and take concrete action to address terrorism originating from Afghanistan.
Citing a recent attack on the Jafferabad Express, a Peshawar-bound passenger train, Akram revealed that the assault was orchestrated and directed from within Afghanistan. He stated that the attackers were in constant communication with their handlers across the border. According to Akram, Pakistan has credible evidence that its “principal adversary” financed and initiated the attack through its proxies operating in Afghanistan.
“These acts of terror are designed to destabilize Pakistan, disrupt our strategic partnership with China, and hinder the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” Akram said.
Ambassador Akram welcomed the UNSC’s condemnation of the Jafferabad Express attack and appreciated the Council’s call to bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of terrorism to justice. He emphasized the need for international cooperation in holding such actors accountable.
Expressing serious concerns over the continued presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Akram reiterated Pakistan’s demand that Afghan territory must not be used to launch attacks against any nation or to provide support for terrorism. He urged the Taliban to take decisive action to prevent Afghan soil from becoming a base for extremist activity.
“The Security Council and its Counter-Terrorism bodies must implement robust measures to counter the threat posed by these terrorist organizations,” Akram asserted. “Pakistan will soon propose concrete steps to help the United Nations achieve its counter-terrorism objectives in the region.”
In his concluding remarks, Akram warned that terrorist groups operating in and from Afghanistan pose a grave threat not only to Pakistan and the region but to international peace and security.
