Monitoring Desk
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, has warned the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is acting as an umbrella organization for various terrorist groups, with strong evidence indicating that the Afghan authorities are sheltering and supporting these outfits.
Speaking at a UNSC meeting on Afghanistan, Akram criticized the Afghan interim government for failing to curb terrorist activities, stressing that the TTP continues to launch cross-border attacks on Pakistan from safe havens in Afghanistan.
“We have evidence that the Kabul authorities have not only tolerated but are complicit in the conduct of the TTP’s terrorist cross-border attacks,” Akram stated. He further highlighted that the TTP, operating under Kabul’s patronage, has become a unifying force for regional terrorist groups aiming to destabilize Afghanistan’s neighbors.
The Pakistani envoy noted that these terrorist activities have resulted in significant casualties and have direct links to groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade, both of which are involved in targeting the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other critical infrastructure.
Akram warned that Pakistan would take all necessary actions to neutralize these threats, adding that over 20 terrorist organizations operating from Afghan soil pose a severe risk to regional and global security.
To address this growing menace, he announced that Pakistan would initiate consultations with the UN to determine an appropriate response, including the potential establishment of a counter-terrorism working group under the Doha Process.
In a significant revelation, Akram disclosed that Pakistani security forces had apprehended several high-profile operatives of the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), including Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national linked to the deadly 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul airport.
Pakistan’s warning at the UNSC underscores the urgent need for global cooperation in addressing terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, as tensions between Islamabad and Kabul continue to escalate over the issue.
