Shafaqna Pakistan: Pakistan featured prominently this week at the United Nations, where concerns were raised about the growing spillover of terrorist threats from Afghanistan. Both China and the UN chief highlighted the impact of militant violence on the region.
Speaking at a high-level briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei noted that while Central Asia remains largely stable, it continues to face cross-border terrorism.
“Although the Central Asia region is generally stable, it is still significantly affected by the spillover of terrorist threats,” he said, referencing recent attacks in Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan that “require our close attention.”
Highlighting Pakistan’s long-standing concerns, the Chinese envoy called for enhanced cooperation with Kabul. “We must strengthen engagement with Afghanistan to prevent it from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups again and to jointly address the return of foreign terrorist fighters,” he added.
Beijing calls for cooperation with Kabul to stop militants using Afghan soil; Guterres flags TTP threat under Taliban regime
Ambassador Sun also underlined the importance of development in countering extremism. “At the same time, it is imperative to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to eliminate the root causes of terrorism,” he said.
UN concerns
A day earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised similar concerns at a briefing in New York. He said the UN remained committed to four key objectives in Afghanistan, while voicing frustration over the Taliban’s failure to make progress on inclusivity, human rights and regional security.
“We need to make sure that Afghan institutions are truly inclusive, that all ethnic groups are represented and that all sectors of society are represented,” he said, calling this “a basic condition for the consolidation of peace”.
On women’s rights, the UN chief expressed concern over restrictions limiting women’s ability to work. “[UN Undersecretary General] Rosemary DiCarlo managed to guarantee the possibility for our female staff to work in the field, but not in our headquarters, and we are very frustrated by that.” He described the Taliban’s failure to meet the expectations of the international community as “unacceptable”.
Turning to security, Guterres highlighted the threat posed by groups operating from Afghan soil. “Another aspect is the need to make sure that no terrorist organisations can operate from Afghanistan into other countries. We are particularly concerned about what has happened with the Pakistani Taliban [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] and the support they might receive.”
He added that the UN had seen meaningful progress on drug trafficking since the Taliban’s return, but lamented the lack of improvement on other fronts. “In relation to the three other aspects, we have frustration, because we do not see our legitimate concerns making the progress that is essential.”
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terrorist incidents in recent years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with officials linking much of the violence to cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
Analysts say the resurgent TTP and allied groups have increased attacks inside Pakistan while allegedly enjoying safe havens across the Afghan border.
Islamabad has consistently urged the international community to press Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militants targeting Pakistan, arguing that regional and global security remain directly tied to stability in Afghanistan.
Source: Dawn News
