NEW YORK: Pakistan’s UN ambassador Munir Akram warned the UN Security Council on Wednesday of the “serious threat of terrorism in and from Afghanistan”, stressing that Pakistan (TTP) is fast emerging as an “umbrella organisation” with the potential to cause regional destabilisation. . The outlawed TTP, a separate group but linked to the Afghan Taliban, has escalated attacks on Pakistani security forces since breaking a fragile ceasefire agreement with the then-government in November 2022. According to a statement issued on Platform X by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, while addressing the United Nations Security Council today on the situation in Afghanistan, Akram highlighted the terrorist threat posed by the TTP on a global scale. “Ambassador Munir Akram has termed TTP, known in Pakistan as Fitna al Khawarij, as the largest terrorist organization in Afghanistan which is carrying out terrorist attacks against Pakistan almost daily with the full support and protection of the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) and patronage. a Pakistani major. adversary,” the statement quoted Akram as saying. Islamabad has repeatedly conveyed to the Afghan government its concern over the presence of terrorist outfits, including the TTP, inside Afghanistan, saying that militants consistently use Afghan soil to launch terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul denies the accusations. Hinting that the TTP has the potential to cause regional destabilization, Ambassador Akram said the terrorist group is “rapidly evolving as an umbrella organization that now coordinates with secessionist groups like the Majeed Brigade.” “And given its long association with al-Qaeda, it will not be long before the TTP becomes the spearhead of al-Qaeda’s planned regional and global terror targets,” Ambassador Akram warned. He asked the world to be concerned about the threat posed by a strengthened TTP in the not-too-distant future. Akram added that Pakistan is ready to cooperate with regional and international organizations to eliminate the TTP menace and will continue to take nationwide actions against the terrorist organization. The envoy reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to support a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, reflecting the shared aspirations of neighboring countries and the international community for greater political inclusiveness in Afghanistan. “Pakistan strongly believes that such engagement is vital to improving the prospects for stability and normalization in that country,” he said. However, Pakistan’s UN envoy expressed deep concern over the ongoing human rights abuses by the Afghan interim government, particularly against women and girls. “The Afghan interim government has not only broken its commitments to women and girls, but made the situation worse by issuing new directives aimed at silencing their voices,” he said. Ambassador Akram said Pakistan strongly condemned the acts, saying “these retroactive measures violate the true essence of our enlightened religion, which was among the first to advocate equal rights for men and women”. The Pakistani envoy said that while Pakistan remained committed to constructive engagement with the Taliban regime, it was clear that the regime must not manipulate regional and international dynamics to avoid its commitments. He also expressed deep concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan three years after the Taliban took power. He said that with 23.7 million Afghans in desperate need of humanitarian aid, Pakistan urged the international community to provide aid without conditions. He claimed that the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which calls for $3.06 billion in aid, has received less than 25 percent of the requested funding. “Immediate action is needed to fully fund this plan,” Akram stressed. “It is imperative that all possible sources of funding are mobilized to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people.” In addition to addressing the humanitarian crisis, Ambassador Akram reiterated Pakistan’s support for Afghanistan’s economic recovery, stressing the urgent need to revive the Afghan banking system, resolve the liquidity crisis and create the conditions necessary to release Afghanistan’s national reserves. “Pakistan is committed to expanding trade and business relations with Afghanistan and remains a key partner in implementing regional infrastructure and connectivity projects that will enhance economic stability and growth in the region,” the permanent official added. Pakistan’s top UN diplomat has urged Afghanistan’s interim government to abide by its international commitments, warning that policies promoting internal, regional and global instability cannot continue unchecked. The international community, Ambassador Akram suggested, must not lose sight of its goals in Afghanistan. The connection with the Taliban must have a clear direction. “We must determine the steps necessary to create a normal state in Afghanistan and work on its eventual integration into the global community,” he emphasized. Ambassador Akram said that to this end, Pakistan suggests that the international community follow the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Special Coordinator, Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu. According to him, the report outlines a plan of reciprocal actions aimed at counter-terrorism, human rights, political inclusiveness, economic recovery and sanctions relief and political recognition. Pakistan saw an increase in terrorist attacks as a total of 59 of them took place across the country in August compared to 38 attacks in the previous month, according to a digital database maintained by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS). organization. -tank. For example, 29 terrorist attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which left 25 dead and 80 injured. These attacks were allegedly carried out by TTP, Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, Lashkar-i-Islam, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and several local Taliban groups.
