Pakistan Warns Afghanistan Has Become a Safe Haven for Terrorist Groups
Pakistan’s representative at the UN Security Council has warned that since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has become a base for terrorist groups, posing a serious threat to regional and global security.
Asim Iftikhar told the Security Council on Wednesday, August 5th, during a session focused on “Threats Arising from Terrorist Acts Against International Peace and Security,” that safe havens now exist in Afghanistan for groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Movement, ISIS Khorasan, East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and Al-Qaeda. He said these groups recruit members, train, and plan attacks in Pakistan from Afghanistan with complete impunity.
He emphasized that the Security Council must hold the Taliban accountable to its commitment to prevent the use of Afghan territory for cross-border attacks. The Pakistani representative also alleged that some of these groups receive financial support from India, Pakistan’s eastern neighbor, and called for the international community to hold the foreign backers of these groups accountable.
Referring to a UN monitoring team’s report, the Pakistani diplomat said that despite weakened ISIS capabilities due to counterterrorism efforts, threats from ISIS and other extremist networks continue to expand in Afghanistan, Africa, and the Middle East. He added that the ISIS Khorasan branch remains active in Afghanistan, causing serious concern.
Asim Iftikhar underscored that combating cross-border terrorism requires extensive international cooperation and no country can tackle this threat alone. He called for strengthening border management, enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies, and combating terrorist groups’ use of emerging technologies such as drones, social media, and artificial intelligence.
The Taliban administration has repeatedly claimed it will not allow its territory to be used against other countries; however, repeated concerns from regional states in international forums indicate that the issue of armed group activities in Afghanistan remains a major security challenge at the regional level.
