NEW YORK: Pakistan on Tuesday reaffirmed its resolve to take “all necessary measures” to protect its national security from terrorist groups operating out of Afghanistan.
The statement was made by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, during a UN Security Council briefing on Afghanistan.
Ambassador Akram expressed concern over Kabul’s failure to curb the activities of outlawed groups, particularly the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, and Baloch insurgent organizations like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade. He accused the Afghan authorities of not only tolerating but also being complicit in cross-border attacks targeting Pakistan.
“Pakistan will continue to take all necessary measures to eliminate terrorist threats to our national security, in accordance with our right to self-defence under international law,” Akram said. He emphasized that the TTP, with an estimated 6,000 fighters, was the largest terror outfit using Afghan territory to orchestrate attacks in Pakistan.
The Pakistani envoy pointed out that the TTP was fast becoming an umbrella group for various regional militants and alleged it received external financing from Pakistan’s “principal adversary,” an apparent reference to India.
Akram also highlighted growing concerns over the collaboration between the TTP and Baloch insurgent groups, saying these alliances were aimed at undermining Pakistan’s internal stability and its strategic partnership with China, particularly projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have remained tense over the Taliban administration’s reluctance to act against militant outfits. Despite repeated calls from Pakistan for action, the Kabul government has denied harboring militants.
Pakistan’s top diplomat also addressed the human rights situation in Afghanistan, criticizing the Taliban for their continued restrictions on women and girls. “Such restrictions are contrary to the teachings of Islam,” Akram remarked, describing them as a self-inflicted injury that isolates Afghanistan from the international community.
The Security Council briefing comes amid escalating violence attributed to the TTP, whose attacks inside Pakistan have intensified since the collapse of a ceasefire in late 2022. A recent UN report confirmed that the Taliban regime in Kabul continues to provide operational space and support to the banned TTP, contributing to the group’s ability to launch attacks across the border.
In response, Pakistan has ramped up its counterterrorism operations, including cross-border strikes targeting TTP hideouts in Afghanistan’s Khost and Paktika provinces. The military offensive, codenamed “Azm-i-Istehkam,” reflects Islamabad’s increasingly assertive stance in addressing security threats from its western border.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s military and political leadership, including Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, underscored that the primary obstacle in Pakistan-Afghanistan ties remained Kabul’s unwillingness to crack down on the TTP.
Pakistan continues to host millions of Afghan refugees and has faced spillover effects from Afghanistan’s decades-long conflicts. Despite Islamabad’s earlier efforts to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan, Akram said the ongoing security situation had left Pakistan with no choice but to act in self-defence.
