WASHINGTON: The ban­ned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakis­tan (TTP) posed a “serious threat” in Central and South Asia and has been receiving “logistical and substantial support from the de facto (Afghan) authorities”, Den­mark told the United Nations, as more voices are now backing Pakistan’s long-standing stance on the issue.

The warning was issued during a briefing at the UN Security Council in New York on Wednesday, where Den­mark, in its role as chair of the ISIL (Daesh) and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, pointed to the role of Afghanistan in harbouring TTP militants and facilitating their operations.

The presence of TTP militants in Afghanistan has long been a point of contention between Islamabad and the Taliban administration. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has accused the group of sheltering thousands of TTP fighters, who have escalated attacks on Pakistani security forces, particularly in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and Balochistan.

Denmark’s Deputy Per­manent Representative to the UN Sandra Jensen Landi told the UNSC meeting that the TTP, “with its approximately 6,000 fighters, is another serious threat emanating from the region, receiving both logistical and substantial support from the de facto authorities”.

Chair of ISIL and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee says terror group enjoys backing of de facto Afghan authorities

“The TTP has conducted numerous high-profile attacks in Pakistan from Afghan soil, some of which incurred mass casualties,” she added.

Ms Landi also gave an overview of the evolving terrorist threat posed by Daesh, Al Qaeda and their affiliates, drawing on the latest assessments of the Analytical Supp­ort and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

“The threat posed by ISIL (Daesh), Al Qaeda and their affiliates remains dynamic and geographically diverse, with the highest intensity observed in Africa. ISIL, Al Qaeda and their affiliates continue to step up their propaganda, exploiting social media platforms to glorify violence, recruit youth and raise funds. Their continued use of cryptocurrencies poses a growing challenge to sanctions implementation,” she said.

Ms Landi said that after losses in the Middle East, Daesh had “pivoted towards Africa, where affiliates such as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have expanded activities and propaganda”.

“ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) is one of the most serious threats in Central and South Asia, with at least 2,000 fighters under Sanaullah Ghafari. They continue to target Shia communities, de facto Afghan authorities and foreign nationals,” she said.

“Across regions, foreign terrorist fighter movements — particularly between Syria, Africa and Central Asia — remain a persistent concern for member states.”

Ms Landi said that Al Qaeda’s central leadership remained weak and largely marginalised, while affiliates — including Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin in the Sahel region of Africa — had “exploited local grievances to expand their reach and financing”.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also continued to incite attacks and raise funds, she highlighted.

“Overall, ISIL and Al Qaeda have proven resilient, adaptive and opportunistic, exploiting regional instability, weak governance and emerging technologies to sustain relevance and project influence,” she said.

Emerging threats

Following Ms Landi’s briefing, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Usman Jadoon was among those who addressed the meeting.

He highlighted that the global terrorism landscape continued to evolve, “adapting itself to a fast-changing world with new and emerging threats under the shadow of rapid technological advancement”.

“At the same time, the prevalence of prolonged unresolved conflicts, external interventions and root causes of terrorism, or euphemistically referred to as the ‘conditions conducive to terrorism’, remain unaddressed, giving continued life to the threat of terrorism,” he added.

He said that as a frontline state in global efforts to counter terrorism, Pakistan had rendered invaluable sacrifices in its efforts to eradicate this menace, with over 80,000 casualties and billions of dollars in economic losses.

Al Qaeda was decimated largely due to Pakistan’s efforts, he said.

“Our valiant security forces and law enforcement agencies continue to counter the terrorism threat emanating from Afghanistan where entities like ISIL-K, TTP and its affiliates, BLA (Baloch Liberation Army) and the Majeed Brigade are thriving under the patronage of their hosts and backed by our principal adversary and net destabiliser in the region,” he said.

Mr Jadoon stressed that the 1267 sanctions regime — the UNSC framework for imposing sanctions on Daesh and Al Qaeda — must reflect ground realities. “Its scope should be broadened to list individuals and entities, without any association with religion, nationality or ethnicity.”

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2025