By The South Asia Times

NEW York — Pakistan has warned the UN Security Council that Afghanistan continues to serve as a hub for multiple terrorist groups, posing the “gravest threat” to Pakistan’s national security and undermining regional stability.

Speaking at the Council’s meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, said over 60 terrorist camps were operating on Afghan soil, providing sanctuaries to groups including ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade.

“We have credible evidence of collaboration among these terrorist groups through joint training, illicit weapons trade, refuge to terrorists, and coordinated attacks — all aimed at targeting civilians, security forces, and sabotaging infrastructure projects in Pakistan,” he told the Council.

Ambassador Ahmed stressed that Pakistan has borne the brunt of cross-border infiltration, noting that the TTP alone maintains nearly 6,000 fighters in Afghanistan. He recalled that 12 Pakistani soldiers were martyred earlier this month in a single border incident. “This situation is intolerable,” he said.

He urged the Taliban authorities to honor their international counterterrorism obligations and called on the Council to strengthen monitoring of illicit arms flows. Pakistan and China, he noted, have submitted a request to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade under the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee.

At the same time, the envoy emphasized the importance of stabilizing Afghanistan’s economy, reviving its banking system, and unfreezing financial assets to prevent further humanitarian crises. He pointed out that the UN’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan had received only 27% of the required funding.

Pakistan, he said, has continued to host millions of Afghan refugees despite limited resources, while engaging the Taliban government on security, trade, and counter-narcotics. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional initiatives, including the Trans-Afghan Railway project and trilateral dialogues with China and Uzbekistan.

Ambassador Ahmed also criticized Taliban restrictions on women and girls, calling them inconsistent with Islamic traditions. “Dialogue and diplomacy, not isolation, are the only viable pathway to lasting peace,” he stressed.

“No country desires peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan, and none has suffered more from its instability,” he concluded, urging the international community to act decisively against terrorist threats emanating from Afghan territory.