• Foreign Affairs calls Pak-Afghan border ‘the most worrisome flash point in South Asia today’
• Pakistani envoy to UN says cross-border terror has reached ‘intolerable’ levels; accuses Taliban of sheltering TTP, India of backing Afghan-based proxies

WASHINGTON: Pakistan could face even deadlier terrorist attacks in the near future, as its border with Afghanistan is “the most worrisome flash point in South Asia today”, the Foreign Affairs magazine wrote in a recent publication, a warning that coincides with Islamabad’s position that terrorism from Kabul has reached an “intolerable level”.

The US-based publication’s assessment comes amid a major escalation, and what it described as a surge in violence since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

On Saturday, Pakistani security forces killed 92 terrorists in Balochistan while repelling coordinated attacks in Quetta and more than a dozen other cities and towns. The operation left 15 security personnel and 18 civilians dead.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, accused Taliban authorities of sheltering militant groups.

Speaking to Dawn, he specifically highlighted what he called India’s long-standing support for proxy elements operating from Afghan soil.

Amb Ahmad said the UN secretary-general had “quite rightly pointed out” earlier this week that the international community expects the Taliban to ensure Afghan soil is not used for cross-border attacks.

He noted that this commitment was central to the original Doha process but remains unfulfilled. “This undertaking has not been fulfilled,” he said. “The Taliban have failed to do so.”

According to Foreign Affairs, which cited data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies and the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, 2025 marked Pakistan’s deadliest year in a decade. The organisations reported a sharp rise in attacks, largely attributed to groups including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Amb Ahmad noted that a UN Monitoring Team has reported on the presence of anti-Pakistan groups in the neighbouring country.

“The large presence of the TTP in Afghanistan, together with BLA, Fitna al-Hindustan, and their terrorist acts against Pakistan from Afghan soil, have also been reported by the UN Monitoring Team,” Amb Ahmad said.

He described an “exponential rise” in attacks originating from across the border, calling the situation “intolerable for Pakistan”.

“We are taking all necessary steps to counter and eliminate this menace, and we are resolute in this objective,” he said.

The Foreign Affairs report indicated that repeated mediation efforts — facilitated by Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia — have failed to secure a lasting commitment from the Taliban to rein in the TTP.

The report suggested the Taliban appear unwilling to act against the group due to close ideological and operational ties. It further noted that the Taliban may leverage confrontation with Pakistan to bolster domestic legitimacy.

Ambassador Ahmad, however, accused the Taliban of direct complicity.

“Not only have they failed to prevent these activities, they have sheltered, actively supported, and collaborated with these elements,” he said.

Tensions have been further complicated by what Foreign Affairs described as warming ties between the Taliban and India. The magazine warned that this engagement, coinciding with the surge in violence inside Pakistan, could complicate regional security dynamics.

Amb Ahmad was of the view that these terrorists enjoy ‘external support’. “It is well known that India has all along supported these proxies working against Pakistan,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026