- Pakistan saw rise in attacks originating from Afghan territory: envoy.
- Says terror groups collaborate via weapons trade, joint attacks.
- Over 214 Afghan militants neutralised since 2022 in Pakistan.
Pakistan has warned the Taliban regime that Islamabad will employ all necessary defensive measures to protect its citizens if Kabul does not take concrete and verifiable steps against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that Afghanistan has once again become a “safe sanctuary” for terrorist groups and proxies, with devastating consequences and mounting security challenges for its immediate neighbours, particularly Pakistan, and the region and beyond.
“The Taliban must take concrete and verifiable action against terrorist groups based on their soil, failing which; Pakistan will take all necessary defensive measures for the protection of its citizens, territory and sovereignty,” he cautioned.
The envoy said that terrorist entities, including Daesh-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Balochistan Liberation Army, and Majeed Brigade, enjoy safe havens in Afghanistan’s territory, with dozens of terrorist camps enabling cross-border infiltration and violent attacks, including suicide bombings.”
He said that there is credible evidence of collaboration among these terrorist groups through joint training, illicit weapons trade, refuge to terrorists, and coordinated attacks against Pakistan using the Afghan soil. He also urged the UN body, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, to provide an objective assessment of the security situation at the border.
The envoy said that despite serious security concerns, Pakistan made every effort to engage with the Taliban authorities, including during the recent rounds of talks in Doha and Istanbul, but to no avail.
He said that Pakistan witnessed a sharp escalation in terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan, as Taliban authorities have failed to act against militant groups operating under their watch.
Iftikhar said nearly 1,200 Pakistanis have lost their lives this year alone in terrorism linked to networks based in Afghanistan. He added that since 2022, more than 214 Afghan terrorists, including suicide bombers, have been neutralised in Pakistan during counterterrorism operations.
He also stressed the need for the repatriation of Afghan refugees, saying, “For over four decades, Pakistan welcomed with open arms, millions of Afghan refugees despite its own constraints and inadequate international support.”
“With conflict (turmoil in Afghanistan) now ended, we expect that Afghans will now return to their country of origin in a dignified, phased and orderly manner.”
Pak-Aghan tensions
The tension between the two neighbouring countries escalated after the Afghan Taliban and militants launched unprovoked attacks against Pakistan’s border posts on the night between October 11 and 12.
The clashes led to the killing of over 200 Taliban and affiliated militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred defending the motherland.
Pakistan also conducted “precision strikes” deep inside Afghanistan, targeting terrorists in Kandahar province and Kabul. A temporary 48-hour ceasefire was announced on October 15 at Afghanistan’s request.
The two sides eventually reached an official ceasefire agreement on October 19 in Qatar in talks mediated by Doha and Turkiye.
Under the deal, terrorism from Afghanistan on Pakistani soil should have stopped immediately, with Islamabad and Kabul agreeing to establish mechanisms to consolidate lasting peace and stability between the two countries.
The two sides then held further talks in Turkiye, which collapsed after Pakistan refused to accept the Taliban delegation’s “illogical” arguments and refusal to address Islamabad’s concerns regarding cross-border terrorism.
However, mediators persuaded Pakistan to give the talks another chance, which ultimately resulted in an agreement to uphold the ceasefire.
