Pakistan vows to respond to Afghan-based terrorism in self-defence ‘as and when needed’

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has warned that Islamabad will respond in self-defence to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan “as and when needed”, while addressing the UN Security Council on Thursday.

“We will respond in self-defence, as and when needed and in accordance with international law,” said Ahmad while addressing a UNSC meeting on Afghanistan.

The ambassador said that Islamabad would not sit idle in the face of this terrorist onslaught, saying that Pakistan had made sustained efforts to alleviate the suffering of Afghans despite reservations over certain policies of the Taliban.

“Pakistan abided by its international commitments to allow unhindered humanitarian aid to Afghanistan,” he said.

The ambassador said Pakistan shared international concerns over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, including human rights violations, a lack of political inclusivity, economic pressures and the growing threat of terrorism.

“We agree with the assessment that the risks associated with human rights violations, lack of political inclusivity, acute economic pressure, and the increasing terrorist threat from Afghanistan are a cause of grave concern for the international community,” he said.

Ahmad said several indicators in Afghanistan were showing a declining trend and warned that the country had again become a base for terrorist groups.

“Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for numerous terrorist groups operating with impunity from its soil,” he said.

He linked Pakistan’s security concerns to what he described as ties between the Taliban and terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

“Over the last three years alone, more than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan,” he said.

Islamabad expected the Taliban to take “concrete and verifiable actions” against terrorist groups, Ahmad said.

“Regrettably, they failed to act in complete disregard for the legitimate security concerns of Pakistan and other countries,” he said.

“Taliban’s refusal to publicly denounce and condemn terrorist groups is evidence enough of their complicity and active support for these groups,” he added.

Turning to the humanitarian and human rights situation, Ahmad said the deterioration also reflected what he described as the Taliban’s continued failure to meet their international obligations.

“Women and girls are denied their fundamental freedoms and basic dignity, with discriminatory and abusive practices that contravene Islamic laws, traditions, and tenets of Muslim faith,” he said.

The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate vulnerable Afghans and called on the international community to do more.

“We look forward to the next steps of the UN-led Doha Process and action plan, the Mosaic approach, to address Afghanistan’s multifaceted challenges comprehensively, with well-defined objectives and a realistic roadmap as the only viable pathway for normalisation,” he said.

In a report issued on August 16 by the UNSC, cited member-state reporting on operational and logistical links between the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIL-K and other terrorist groups. It said BLA terrorists had accessed advanced military equipment and training in Afghanistan, while BLA and TTP members had trained alongside each other at facilities there.

The findings followed earlier UN reporting in 2023 that highlighted the TTP’s expanding presence in Afghanistan and its links with the Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda and other anti-Pakistan groups. That report said the TTP had established a base in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and noted that some Taliban members had joined the group, while TTP members and their families received regular assistance from Taliban authorities.

Together, the UN assessments have pointed to the continued presence of terrorist networks in Afghanistan, their cooperation and access to resources, and the resulting cross-border security threat for Pakistan.