• Ambassador Ahmad says continued militancy from Afghan territory is main obstacle to regional peace and stability
• Cites UN monitoring reports indicating that TTP maintains a significant presence in Afghanistan and enjoys close ties with Taliban regime
WASHINGTON: Pakistan told the UN Security Council on Monday that Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers must take “verifiable and non-reversible action” against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, arguing that the country’s failure to curb militancy has become the principal obstacle to regional peace and stability.
Addressing a Council meeting on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said Islamabad had hoped the Taliban’s return to power nearly five years ago would end decades of conflict and usher in a period of stability for Afghanistan and its neighbours. Instead, he said, terrorist organisations continue to operate from Afghan soil, threatening regional security and undermining prospects for Afghanistan’s normalisation.
His remarks echoed findings by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has repeatedly reported that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) maintains a significant presence in Afghanistan and continues to benefit from close ties with the Afghan Taliban.
The Monitoring Team has also warned that Afghanistan remains home to several militant groups, including Al Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K) and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), whose activities pose security concerns for the region.
Pakistan, Mr Ahmad said, had supported Afghanistan through humanitarian assistance, trade incentives, visa facilitation and sustained diplomatic engagement in the hope that the Taliban would evolve into a responsible governing authority and prevent Afghan territory from being used against other countries.
“Regrettably, they have failed to undertake action,” he said, referring to groups such as the TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIL-K and ETIM.
The ambassador cited a sharp increase in terrorist violence inside Pakistan, saying the country recorded more than 5,300 terrorist incidents in 2025 and lost more than 1,200 lives in attacks linked to militant groups operating from Afghanistan.
He also referred to a vehicle-borne bomb attack on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last month that killed 15 police officers, saying Pakistani investigations traced the planning of the attack to Afghanistan.
Mr Ahmad said reports by the UN Monitoring Team and other independent assessments had documented the growing threat posed by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan. He also claimed that militants had gained access to sophisticated weapons, including equipment left behind after the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
In some of his strongest remarks, the Pakistani envoy accused the Taliban of failing to address legitimate security concerns and alleged a growing nexus between the authorities in Kabul and militant organisations. He also referred to what he described as the involvement of an unnamed “outside actor” supporting anti-Pakistan militant groups through Afghanistan.
Pakistan, he said, remained open to dialogue and had welcomed mediation efforts by Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and China, but would continue to exercise its right of self-defense in accordance with international law.
The ambassador also criticised recent UN reporting on Afghanistan, arguing that it failed to adequately reflect the cross-border terrorist threat facing Pakistan. He questioned references to casualties resulting from counterterrorism operations and said reports often omitted the broader security context surrounding attacks originating from Afghan territory.
Turning to Afghanistan’s internal situation, Mr Ahmad blamed Taliban policies for the country’s worsening humanitarian and human rights conditions, particularly restrictions imposed on women and girls. He said the measures violated both international obligations and Islamic principles.
The Pakistani envoy also defended Islamabad’s handling of Afghan refugees, noting that Pakistan had hosted millions of Afghans for more than four decades.
Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026