Pakistan has taken up the issue of terrorist safe havens in Afghanistan at the United Nations, presenting evidence to the Security Council of cross-border infiltrations and attacks originating from Afghan soil.
According to Arab News, Pakistan informed the Council that more than 60 militant camps operating inside Afghanistan pose a direct threat to its national security. Islamabad held the Afghan Taliban responsible for enabling cross-border strikes, warning that these facilities are being used to stage attacks against Pakistan’s security forces as well as innocent civilians.
Foreign media reported that Pakistan possesses concrete evidence of joint training exercises among these groups, their operational collaboration, illicit arms trade, and coordinated terrorist operations targeting its territory.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told the Council that the militant camps function as launchpads for infiltration and cross-border assaults. “Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains the most serious threat to Pakistan’s national security,” he stressed.
He identified ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade among the groups using Afghan sanctuaries. Pakistan and China have jointly submitted a request to the Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade.
“We expect the Council to act swiftly to halt terrorist activities planned from Afghanistan,” the envoy added, urging the Taliban authorities to uphold their international counterterrorism obligations. He reaffirmed that no country desires peace and stability in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.
The envoy further revealed that the TTP, with nearly 6,000 fighters, remains the largest terrorist group on Afghan soil. He noted that Pakistan has successfully foiled multiple infiltration attempts by TTP and BLA militants from across the border, but cautioned that the situation is becoming intolerable.
“As Pakistan’s Permanent Representative, I emphasise that Pakistan is committed to supporting a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, which serves the best interests of the region and the world,” Asim Iftikhar Ahmad concluded.
