Editorial
Pakistan has once again sounded the alarm at the United Nations, warning that terrorist sanctuaries inside Afghanistan pose the gravest threat to its national security. Addressing the Security Council’s session on Afghanistan, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed urged global powers to act decisively against networks that exploit both physical hideouts and digital platforms to destabilize Pakistan. His words carried urgency and frustration, reflecting a reality that Pakistan faces on a daily basis.
Ambassador Ahmed identified groups including Al Qaeda, IS-Khorasan, TTP, ETIM, and Baloch insurgents such as the BLA and Majeed Brigade as operating with impunity across the border. He highlighted credible evidence of collaboration through joint training, illicit arms trade, and coordinated attacks, noting the existence of more than 60 active camps targeting civilians, security forces, and development projects. The scale of the threat leaves little doubt that terrorism has been externalized against Pakistan.
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The envoy also revealed how extremism has moved into cyberspace, where nearly 70 propaganda accounts linked to Afghan IPs are fueling radical messaging. He rightly argued that curbing this menace requires greater accountability from social media companies, which must partner with states to deny extremist groups a digital battlefield.
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Importantly, Pakistan and China have jointly requested the UN Sanctions Committee to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade as terrorist entities. Yet, global silence has emboldened such groups. The editorial truth here is plain: unless the UN matches words with action, its credibility as a security guarantor will continue to erode.
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Ambassador Ahmed further warned of the TTP’s 6,000 fighters entrenched on Afghan soil, many armed with sophisticated weapons left behind by international forces. Pakistan’s soldiers continue to pay the ultimate price—12 martyred in one attack this month alone. Still, Islamabad shoulders the humanitarian burden of millions of Afghan refugees while international aid lags, with the 2025 UN plan funded at only 27 percent.
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Pakistan’s message is unambiguous: regional peace cannot exist without decisive international action against Afghan-based terror sanctuaries. The Security Council must act, not simply acknowledge.
