Pakistan tells UN Taliban must act against terrorist groups in Afghanistan

Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to “take decisive action” against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, and has questioned the Taliban’s “complicity and support” for groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), The Express Tribune reported, citing a press release from Pakistan’s mission to the United Nations.

What Pakistan told the General Assembly

Counsellor Muhammad Jawad Ajmal spoke at an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, in the Third Committee of the General Assembly. He said “terrorism remained at the heart of Afghanistan’s challenges.”

Ajmal expressed concern about the presence and activities of the TTP, the Balochistan Liberation Army, the Majeed Brigade, ISIL-K and the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), along with their affiliates, operating from Afghan soil. He pointed to what he called the nexus between the Afghan Taliban government and these groups, and to “the role of external actors supporting proxy elements targeting Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.” The Taliban’s continued failure to denounce the groups publicly, he said, was a serious concern.

He put the human cost at more than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis killed over the past three years in terrorist attacks that came from Afghan territory. This is Pakistan’s figure, as stated in its official release.

The right to self-defence

Ajmal referred to Pakistan’s action on March 16, when, he said, Islamabad “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure including drone and ammunition storage facilities used by the TTP to target innocent Pakistani civilians.” Pakistan “could not remain passive in the face of continued terrorist attacks against its people and national security,” he said, and it would “exercise its right to self-defence, whenever necessary and in accordance with international law, against any threat to its citizens and national security.” He called on the Taliban to honour their international commitments and repeated Pakistan’s wish for a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan “that lives in harmony with itself and its neighbours.”

Women and girls, and refugees

The Pakistani envoy also criticised the denial of “fundamental freedoms and basic dignity to women and girls” in Afghanistan, calling on the Taliban to lift restrictions. He said these practices were inconsistent with Islamic law and tradition, and recalled that Pakistan hosted the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women in Islamabad in July, which adopted the Islamabad Declaration expressing concern over the restrictions. According to UNESCO, as the Tribune notes, the Taliban have barred 2.4 million Afghan girls from school since 2021.

Ajmal also pointed to Pakistan’s “longstanding humanitarian contribution” in hosting millions of Afghan refugees over several decades, often without enough international help. Pakistan would keep helping vulnerable Afghans within its capacity, he said, but the international community had to share the responsibility.

Background

Relations between the two countries have worsened because of repeated cross-border terrorism. Our report on the army’s response to Taliban fire at Angoor Adda covers the latest clashes on the border, and our story on Ishaq Dar’s warning to the Taliban of consequences shows the diplomatic line. The ISPR chief also said this week that the tempo of operations against terrorists would rise.

Why it matters

The UN Third Committee deals with human rights, so Pakistan chose to link its security case to the human rights record of the Taliban, putting both arguments in front of the same audience. It is also a signal to the countries that deal with Kabul that Islamabad wants them to press the Taliban on the issue of cross-border terror. The reports we drew on do not include a response from the Taliban to this statement. The questions to watch are whether any UN member backs Pakistan’s case, whether Kabul replies, and whether talks between the two sides resume.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune.