UN Report Validates Pakistan’s Concerns Over TTP’s Afghan Sanctuaries
- UN report confirms TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, validating Pakistan’s concerns.
- Pakistan demands Afghanistan take action against terror groups.
- Foreign Office also condemns Israeli aggression in recent statements.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has received support from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) regarding its concerns about the use of Afghan soil by terrorists. During a press briefing on August 1, 2024, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch highlighted that a recent UN report confirmed the presence of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan. The report indicates that the TTP, labeled as “Fitna al-Khawarij” by Pakistan, has established hideouts and sanctuaries across the border.
According to Baloch, the UNSC report reveals that TTP operatives and new recruits are being trained in Afghanistan. This situation is alarming as it suggests the potential for the TTP to become an “extra-regional threat” and serve as an “umbrella organization” for other terrorist groups. Pakistan has long expressed concerns over the support structure the TTP has in Afghanistan and has urged the Afghan government to act decisively against these terrorist elements.
The UN report also detailed increased collaboration between the TTP and the Afghan Taliban, with joint training camps and coordinated attacks against Pakistani military posts. This partnership is part of a broader trend of escalating cross-border violence, which has seen Pakistan suffer over 800 attacks in recent months. The report also noted the expansion of Al-Qaeda’s influence, collaborating with regional terror groups for broader regional destabilization.
In addition to addressing the situation in Afghanistan, the Foreign Office condemned recent Israeli actions following the assassination of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Baloch criticized Israel’s aggression as a violation of international law and called for accountability and an end to unlawful military operations that threaten regional stability.
