Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains a serious threat to its neighbours, particularly Pakistan,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said in an address
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 24 (DNA): A senior Pakistani diplomat has told the UN Security Council that the 6,000-strong Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the largest UN-designated terrorist group operating from Afghan soil, posed a direct threat to Pakistan’s national security.
“Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains a serious threat to its neighbours, particularly Pakistan,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said in an address to the 15-member Council, pointing out that TTP has safe havens close to the Pakistani border.
Speaking in a debate on the situation in Afghanistan, the Pakistani envoy also voiced concern over the potential destabilizing impact of the situation in Iran following unprovoked Israeli attacks. “A refugee exodus into neighbouring countries—including Afghanistan and Pakistan—could pose significant new challenges,” he said, adding that it might imperil the already fragile conditions in the war-torn country..
Elaborating on the threat to Pakistan, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said that terrorist entities—including Al-Qaeda, the TTP, and the Baloch militant groups—continue to operate from ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan.
As part of its defensive measures, he said Pakistan has confiscated a significant cache of modern weapons originally left behind by international forces in Afghanistan when they departed after the Taliban captured Kabul four years ago.
In April, he said, 54 TTP terrorists attempting to infiltrate Pakistan were neutralized by the Pakistani security forces, an incident underscoring the scale and seriousness of the threat.
“We also have credible evidence of collaboration between the TTP and other groups, such as the BLA and its Majeed Brigade, aimed at disrupting strategic infrastructure and economic development projects in Pakistan,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said.
Noting that Afghanistan’s internal challenges continue to spill over into the region, he said Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades. Since August 2021, an additional one million undocumented individuals have crossed into Pakistan, creating among other issues, law-and-order concerns, snd called on the international community to share this burden more equitably.
At the outset, the UN’s top envoy in Afghanistan said that the country was already grappling with immense humanitarian and economic challenges and growing instability in the wider region following airstrikes by Israel and the United States in Iran is compounding the situation.
Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said the ongoing missile attacks between Iran and Israel are already having a tangible impact.
“This conflict is already having an effect in Afghanistan, disrupting trade and increasing the prices of basic goods and fuel, and prompting the return of additional Afghans from Iran,” she said, echoing the Secretary-General’s urgent call for de-escalation.
More than 600,000 Afghans have returned from neighbouring Pakistan and Iran this year, and Ms. Otunbayeva said UN agencies are preparing for potential cross-border movements from Iran considering the “concerning developments” in the region.
“Returns from Iran alone in the past few days have been over 10,000 per day,” she said.
Local communities and the de facto Taliban authorities “have made efforts to absorb returnees, the UN envoy added.
In his remarks, Asim Iftikhar, the Pakistani envoy, also said Islamabad supports efforts to stabilize Afghanistan’s economy, revive its banking system, and explore mechanisms for unfreezing Afghan financial assets.
“Despite our own constraints, Pakistan remains committed to pragmatic engagement—in expanding trade and pursuing key regional connectivity initiatives…” and has sustained high-level engagement with the de facto authorities throughout the year, citing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar’s efforts in this regard, he said.
Pakistan, he added, also welcomes UN efforts, including the Doha Process, aimed at structured engagement with the de facto authorities. “A comprehensive and inclusive framework is now urgently needed—one that also addresses regional concerns, as identified in the independent assessment report.”
The de facto authorities must fulfill their international obligations, expressing concern about the continued restrictions on women and girls, which are inconsistent with both international norms and Islamic traditions.
Pakistan continues to support educational opportunities for Afghan youth, he said, pointing out that the third phase of Allama Iqbal Scholarship Programme is currently underway, benefitting 4,500 Afghan students—one-third of whom are women.
Pakistan, he said, desires a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan, and remain ready to support international engagement with the de facto authorities—such engagement must be based on clear objectives, reciprocal steps and a realistic roadmap, sensitive to Afghanistan’s unique social and political fabric after more than four decades of conflict.
“As two immediate neighbours bound by history, geography, ethnicity, language, faith, and culture, our destinies are deeply intertwined,” he said, emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy for viable pathways to peace and progress.
“Pakistan stands committed to playing a constructive and proactive role in helping Afghanistan achieve lasting peace and stability,”Ambassador Asim Iftikhar added.
