Pakistan’s envoy to the UN said the Taliban must decide whether to lead Afghanistan toward isolation or toward peace and prosperity, after the Security Council renewed the mandate of a monitoring team overseeing sanctions on the Taliban.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad welcomed the council’s decision to extend for another year the mandate of the monitoring team assisting the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee.
In a post on X, Ahmad said the resolution sent a “clear and unambiguous message” to the Taliban authorities that Afghan territory “should not be used to threaten or attack any country.”
“It is now for the Taliban to decide which path they wish to take for Afghanistan; the path of isolation or the path of peace and prosperity,” he wrote, adding that he hoped the monitoring team would continue to report proactively in line with its mandate.
The Security Council voted unanimously last week to extend the team’s mandate for one year. The resolution, drafted by the United States, was adopted with the support of all 15 council members.
The sanctions committee, established in June 2011 under Resolution 1988, oversees measures including asset freezes, travel bans and an arms embargo against individuals and entities associated with the Taliban.
The Taliban criticized the decision. Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesman, described sanctions and pressure as unsuccessful and called on Western countries to reconsider their approach. In comments to Radio Hurriyat, a Taliban-affiliated outlet, he said the extension of sanctions and monitoring mechanisms was a “repeated and failed experience” that would not help resolve problems.
Several countries also weighed in on the renewal. China, Russia and Pakistan welcomed the extension and emphasized the need to combat terrorism.
