UNITED NATIONS: A Pakistani diplomat has called for concerted efforts to intercept clandestine flows of modern and sophisticated weapons to armed groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade faction who use safe havens in Afghanistan to launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

“Terrorist armed groups are in possession of billions worth of illicit arms abandoned in Afghanistan,” Syed Atif Raza, a counselor at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, told an Arria-Formua meeting of the UN Security Council, convened by Sierra Leone.

This format of council’s meeting is named after a former Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN, Diego Arriva. It is a consultation process which affords members of the Security Council the opportunity to hear persons in an informal setting.

The armament being used by TTP, BLA against Pakistani civilians and armed forces, UNSC meeting told

Speaking in a debate on “Small Arms and Light Weapons Management in UN Sanctions Regimes”, the Pakistani delegate said such armament was being used by the banned TTP and BLA terrorists in violence against civilians and the armed forces of Pakistan.

“These terrorist entities also receive external support and financing from our principal adversary,” Mr Raza said in an obvious reference to India.

“We call upon our international partners to recover the vast stockpile of abandoned weapons, prevent their access to armed terrorist groups and take measures to close this thriving black market of illicit arms.”

The misuse and illicit flow of small arms and light weapons aggravates conflicts, threatens socio-economic progress and subverts peace and security, he said, pointing out that they have become instruments of choice for state and non-state actors.

He said that these concerns were further compounded with increasing sophistication of illicit arms and access to modernised weapons at the disposal of illegal armed groups often operating across national boundaries.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2025