UNITED NATIONS — Addressing the U.N. Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on Monday, Pakistan’s envoy, Munir Akram, accused the Taliban government of not only tolerating but being complicit in cross-border attacks carried out by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“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,” the envoy said.
He warned that the TTP is working alongside other militant groups operating from Afghanistan, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majid Brigade, in an effort to destabilize Pakistan. He also claimed that these groups are targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through coordinated attacks.
The Pakistani envoy described the presence of more than 20 terrorist organizations in Afghanistan as the greatest threat to regional and global security. He said the Taliban is engaged in a struggle against the Islamic State’s Khorasan branch (IS-K), but their efforts have been largely ineffective.
“They are fighting Daesh, but obviously not very effectively, as evident from the numerous attacks claimed by Daesh in Afghanistan, as well as its attacks in Kirman, Iran, Moscow, Russia, and more recently in Peshawar, Pakistan.”
Citing the 35th report of the U.N. Al-Qaeda and Daesh monitoring team, he said Pakistani forces had successfully foiled IS-K’s attempts to infiltrate its borders. He also revealed that security forces had detained several high-profile IS-K operatives, including Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national linked to the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul airport.
Despite this, the envoy argued, the Taliban has failed to address threats posed by other militant groups, particularly Al-Qaeda and the TTP.
TTP’s Growing Strength and External Support
Pakistan views the TTP as the most immediate security threat, with its fighters using Afghan territory as a base for attacks. The envoy said the Taliban’s continued patronage of the group has allowed it to evolve into a broader coalition of regional militant organizations.
“The TTP, perceived as enjoying Kabul’s patronage, is fast emerging as an umbrella organization for regional terrorist groups whose objectives are to undermine the security and stability of all of Afghanistan’s neighbors,” he warned.
He also accused the TTP of receiving external financing and support, though he did not specify from whom.
Pakistan’s envoy raised alarms over the weapons left behind by U.S. and NATO forces following their withdrawal from Afghanistan. He claimed that some of these arms have been seized from militants carrying out cross-border attacks.
“Our security and border forces have confiscated some of the modern arms acquired by the Afghan authorities from stocks left behind by foreign forces,” he said, calling on the Taliban to retrieve these weapons from terrorist groups.
The envoy urged the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for its failure to rein in terrorist organizations and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a launchpad for regional and global attacks.
