Pakistan Warns Afghanistan Has Become a Safe Haven for Terrorist Groups
Pakistan’s representative at the United Nations Security Council warned that since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has become a fertile ground for the activities and expansion of terrorist groups, posing a serious threat to regional and global security.
On Wednesday, Asim Iftikhar, speaking at the Security Council meeting focused on “Threats Posed by Terrorist Acts to International Peace and Security,” stated that safe havens currently 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. According to him, these groups recruit members, train within Afghanistan, and plan attacks on Pakistan with “complete impunity.”
He emphasized that the Security Council must hold the Taliban administration accountable for its commitment to preventing the use of Afghan territory for cross-border attacks. The Pakistani representative also alleged that several of these groups receive financial support from Pakistan’s eastern neighbor, India, calling for foreign sponsors of these groups to be held accountable.
Referring to the United Nations monitoring team’s report, the Pakistani diplomat noted that despite weakened ISIS capabilities due to counterterrorism efforts, the threat from ISIS and other extremist networks continues to grow across Afghanistan, Africa, and the Middle East. He added that the ISIS Khorasan branch remains active in Afghanistan, raising serious concerns.
Asim Iftikhar stated that combating cross-border terrorism requires broad international cooperation, and no country can manage this threat alone. He stressed the need to strengthen border management, increase the capacity of law enforcement agencies, and counter the use of emerging technologies by terrorist groups, such as drones, social media, and artificial intelligence.
The Taliban administration has repeatedly claimed it will not allow Afghan territory to be used against other countries; however, recurring regional concerns raised at international meetings indicate that the issue of armed groups operating in Afghanistan remains a major security challenge at the regional level.
