Terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will spill beyond Pakistan: Ambassador Ahmad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Monday warned that the spillover effects of the "terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will not remain confined to Pakistan."

While speaking at the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan, Ambassador Ahmad said that Pakistan “regularly facilitated dialogue and engagement with the Taliban authorities.” 

However, after being “extended an olive branch” with the expectation that they would deliver on the three key international demands — counter terrorism, human rights, and inclusive governance — the country has been operating as “a sanctuary for terrorist groups and proxies.”

“Terrorism emanating from Afghan soil poses a grave threat not only to its immediate neighbors, but also to the broader region and beyond, undermining regional and international peace and security,” Ambassador Ahmad said. 

The ambassador reminded the council of a surge in terrorist attacks, planned, financed, and orchestrated from Afghan soil under the Taliban regime’s direct watch.

“We have lost thousands of lives to terrorism related incidents since the Taliban takeover, and just last month, more than 175 innocent Pakistani lives were lost, including in three suicide attacks,” he said.

“We would like to warn that the spillover effects of the terrorism nurturing in Afghanistan will not remain confined to Pakistan,” he added. 

The ambassador said that the neighbor had failed to “undertake substantive action," highlighted “the scale of their complicity and active support.”

While referring to the ongoing tensions between the two countries, the ambassador said that the response from Pakistan was “proportional, based on careful planning with necessary due diligence, and directed solely against identified terrorist camps and support bases.”

Ambassador Ahmad said that no country desired peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan, as no one had suffered “more from the consequences of decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan.”

“Pakistan's demand from Afghanistan has always been singular and clear: verifiable and non-reversible action against terrorists,” he said, adding that the demands remained “unmet to date.”

“The Taliban must, first and foremost, ensure that their territory is not used for terrorism against neighboring countries and take demonstrable steps to deny space to terrorist groups and proxies,” Ambassador Ahmad said.