Pakistan warns TTP could become Al Qaeda’s arm with regional, global terrorist agenda

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has raised concerns over the rising threat posed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), warning the international community that the group, which operates primarily from Afghanistan, could evolve into an arm of Al Qaeda with both regional and global terrorist ambitions.

The ongoing violence from TTP militants, who frequently target Pakistani territories, has strained Pakistan’s relationship with the Afghan Taliban administration.

Despite repeated calls for action against the banned TTP, the Taliban leadership in Kabul has dismissed these requests, denying the group’s use of Afghan soil to stage attacks on Pakistan.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on Thursday, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, stressed that terrorism from and within Afghanistan is the most significant threat to Pakistan, the region, and the world.

While acknowledging Afghanistan’s fight against ISIL-K (Da’ish), Jadoon stressed that other terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda and TTP, remain largely unchecked.

Jadoon also revealed that Pakistan’s border officials have confiscated modern weapons used by TTP militants, many of which were reportedly supplied by the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) from leftover foreign military stockpiles.

Furthermore, the TTP allegedly receives external support, including funding from Pakistan’s regional adversary, India.

The ambassador warned that TTP’s growing influence may turn it into a central hub for various terrorist groups, particularly those aimed at destabilising Pakistan.

He cited TTP’s links with the Majeed Brigade, a group actively working to disrupt Pakistan’s economic cooperation with China, particularly in relation to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Jadoon also highlighted TTP’s longstanding ties to Al Qaeda, suggesting that the group could emerge as an extension of Al Qaeda’s operations, with a broader regional and global agenda.

Pakistan, he declared, would take all necessary national measures to eliminate these threats, while cooperating with regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

In addition to security concerns, the ambassador addressed the growing human rights violations under the Afghan Taliban regime, particularly the recent ban on women and girls from attending public and private medical institutions in Afghanistan.

He criticised these actions as contrary to Islamic principles and urged the international community to hold the Afghan government accountable for its promises on human rights and political inclusion.

The ambassador also called for the Doha Process framework to address not only counter-narcotics and private-sector issues but also the broader challenges Afghanistan faces, including terrorism, human rights abuses, and widespread poverty.

He stressed the urgent need for international aid to support Afghanistan’s 23.7 million people who require assistance and the revitalisation of its economy, including restoring the national banking system.

Pakistan, sharing deep ethnic, cultural, and historical ties with Afghanistan, expressed its commitment to helping the Afghan people. Jadoon reiterated that no country is more eager than Pakistan to see Afghanistan reintegrated into the international community.

The UN debate was also marked by comments from Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Otunbayeva condemned the latest Taliban restriction on women, warning that it could have deadly consequences for Afghan women and girls.

She also noted the increasing repression under the Taliban’s “Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law,” which has led to widespread self-regulation and the closure of barbershops.

Despite these challenges, Otunbayeva stressed the importance of engagement with the Taliban, not as a form of recognition, but to prevent Afghanistan’s isolation and the potential return to conflict.