As Islamabad repeatedly raised concerns about the use of Afghan soil for carrying out terror activities in Pakistan, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also endorsed its stance, revealing that terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have hideouts and sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during the weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, stated that according to the report the TTP — declared as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ by the Pakistani government — could “transform into an extra regional threat as well as and “umbrella organisation” of other terror groups.
According to Baloch, the UN report highlighted that the TTP operatives and its new recruits are being trained in Afghanistan.
The FO spokesperson then urged Afghanistan to take immediate, effective and robust action against the terrorist groups including the ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’. Baloch further maintained that the Afghan side must ensure that their land is not used for terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
She said that Pakistan had long been conveying that the terrorist outfit had a support structure in Afghanistan, adding that the UN report highlighted the increased collaboration of the banned terrorist organisation with the Afghan Taliban.
“We have also been urging Afghanistan to take immediate and robust action against those using Afghan soil for terror activities in Pakistan,” she said.
The FO remarks came in response to the UNSC report that revealed “an increased collaboration between the TTP and Afghan Taliban in the cross-border terrorist attacks mainly against Pakistani military posts”.
The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which produced the UNSC report, said Pakistan suffered more than eight hundred attacks in the past several months.
It added that the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan is causing heightened concern in many UN member states.
The report underscored that there is increased support and collaboration between TTP and the Taliban, sharing manpower and training camps in Afghanistan and conducting more lethal attacks under the banner of Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan.
“According to the report, Al-Qaeda seeks to strengthen cooperation with regional terrorist organizations of non-Afghan origin, such as ETIM/TIP, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Jamaat Ansarullah for expansion to Central Asia,” a Radio Pakistan news report stated.
FO denounces Israel’s aggression against Palestinians
Meanwhile, FO spokesperson also commented on the assassination of the Chief of the Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, stating that targeting individuals inside sovereign states is a violation of international law and global norms.
Baloch maintained that such acts carry the seeds of further escalation and that it is yet another demonstration of indiscriminate and disproportionate Israeli aggression that has continued unabated to the detriment of regional and global peace and security
The spokesperson said Israel must be held accountable for its transgressions and actions.
“Israeli’s extraterritorial acts have endangered regional security,” a statement by the FO read,
Baloch urged the backers of Israel to prevail on Israel to end its unlawful military operations in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region.
