Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to press the Taliban Government in Afghanistan to cut their ties with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and warned that TTP could “soon pose a global terrorist threat” if left unchecked.
During a special Security Council session on Afghanistan on Wednesday, Akram said, “I am confident that this Council will join Pakistan in demanding that the Afghan Taliban terminate its relationship with the TTP and its affiliates and prevent them from having free rein to conduct cross-border attacks against Pakistan or other neighbors.”
He cautioned that the TTP, with support from Al-Qaeda and certain state sponsors, could emerge as a global terrorism threat if international efforts do not intensify to curb its activities. “Counter-terrorism must be the highest priority in any future roadmap for engagement with the Afghan interim government,” Akram emphasized.
Furthermore, he called for a UN investigation into how the TTP acquired modern military equipment and the sources of its financial backing, which has sustained its estimated 50,000 fighters.
This request follows Akram’s December 2023 call for an investigation into the TTP’s access to advanced weaponry in Afghanistan, amid a backdrop of attacks on electoral campaigns in Pakistan, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. This period was marked by attacks on electoral candidates, political gatherings, and security forces.
A major attack occurred in Dera Ismail Khan in December 2023, where 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed, an act claimed by Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan. In response, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary lodged a strong protest with the Afghan Chargé d’Affaires, demanding a thorough investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators.
While Islamabad has continually urged Kabul to prevent its territory from serving as a terrorism launchpad, the Taliban-led Afghan government insists it will not allow its soil to be used against any nation, refuting accusations of negligence by asserting that “Pakistan is attributing its failures to Afghanistan.” In December, the Taliban’s Defense Minister, Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob, said that citizens from Tajikistan and Pakistan were involved in attacks within Afghanistan, highlighting the intricate regional security dynamics.