DID Press: Pakistan has renewed its warning at the United Nations Security Council over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan, alleging that they are using safe havens inside the country to threaten regional security.
Addressing a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said that despite global efforts to weaken terrorist organizations, the threat of terrorism remains persistent in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and particularly Afghanistan. He added that the regional branch of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province continues to pose a serious threat despite sustained counterterrorism operations.
Ahmad described the situation in Afghanistan as “deeply concerning,” claiming that since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, several militant groups have continued to operate in what he called a permissive environment. He named the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade, ISIS-K, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and affiliates of Al-Qaeda as groups that Pakistan alleges maintain safe havens in Afghanistan.
He further claimed that the TTP continues to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan—an allegation that the Taliban administration has consistently denied. Islamabad also accused unspecified foreign actors of supporting anti-Pakistan militant groups.
The remarks came one day after the fourth US–Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue in Washington, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued security cooperation and efforts to combat terrorist organizations.
In another part of his address, Ahmad also raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, marking the seventh anniversary of India’s revocation of the region’s special constitutional status. He accused India of entering a new phase of repression in Kashmir, described New Delhi’s policies as “state terrorism,” and urged the international community not to allow counterterrorism efforts to be used to suppress what Pakistan calls the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.