Pak warns of growing terror threat from Afghan soil at Moscow Format

ISLAMABAD  –  Pakistan yesterday warned that terrorism emanating from Afghan soil had emerged as its most serious security challenge, calling for concrete and verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghanistan. Speaking at the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq said Islamabad remained committed to a regional approach for addressing the challenges facing Afghanistan and the wider region. He said the forum was an essential platform for sustained dialogue and engagement aimed at promoting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

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Sadiq said Pakistan had consistently supported efforts to stabilise Afghanistan since August 2021, including humanitarian assistance, facilitation of visas for vulnerable Afghans, trade and transit incentives, regional connectivity initiatives and efforts to facilitate Afghanistan’s integration with the international community. However, he said Afghanistan now stood at a critical juncture, facing a deteriorating humanitarian situation compounded by food insecurity, climate shocks, water scarcity and recurring natural disasters. He also voiced concern over what he described as the continued absence of meaningful progress on counterterrorism, women’s rights and girls’ education, as well as inclusive governance. The Pakistani envoy said terrorism remained at the core of Afghanistan’s problems, alleging that groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Al-Qaeda and their affiliates continued to operate from Afghan soil.

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He maintained that these groups were operating with impunity and accused the Taliban authorities of failing to address Pakistan’s security concerns.

“Five years into the Taliban rule, Pakistan faces the most serious security threat,” Sadiq said, according to his remarks at the forum.

He said more than 4,700 Pakistanis had been killed in terrorism over the last three years in attacks that Islamabad says originated from Afghanistan.

Sadiq said Pakistan could not remain passive when its security and citizens were repeatedly targeted, while stressing that Islamabad wanted peace and stability in the region.

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He described Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations as precise, intelligence-based and defensive, saying they were carried out in response to attacks allegedly perpetrated from Afghan territory.

The Pakistani representative said Islamabad’s actions were aimed solely at terrorist organisations that it considers a threat to Pakistan and the wider region, and were undertaken in accordance with international law and the principles of necessity and last resort.

He said Pakistan had continued to pursue political and diplomatic avenues to address terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, but maintained that its efforts and goodwill gestures had not produced the required results.

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Sadiq called on the Afghan authorities to prevent militant groups from operating from their territory and urged countries across the region to work together to address sources of instability in their immediate neighbourhood.

He said Pakistan expected the Taliban authorities to take concrete and verifiable measures against terrorist groups and honour commitments made to the international community.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan are immediate neighbours having historical relations and fraternal bonds,” Sadiq said, adding that peace and stability in Afghanistan remained in Pakistan’s national interest.

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He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a regional approach to Afghanistan and stressed the importance Islamabad attaches to the Moscow Format in advancing regional peace and stability.

“We hope this platform would continue playing its role in advancing our priorities, including by sending a strong, unified message that helps achieve our collective objectives,” he said.

The eighth Moscow Format meeting brought together Afghanistan and regional countries for discussions on security, counterterrorism, economic cooperation and connectivity.

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