UNITED NATIONS: A top Pakistani diplomat has said that the Tehrik-e-Taliban (Fitna al-Khawarij), which has Afghan rulers’ protection, is emerging as an umbrella organization for other terrorist outfits, whose objectives are the destabilization of Afghanistan’s neighbours.
The Ambassador told the UNSC “While some of our fellows may believe that they are only threatened by Daesh, they should also be concerned by the threat they could confront from a strengthened TTP (Fitna al-Khawarij) in the not too distant future.”
Pakistan, he added, will take national action, cooperating with international and regional organizations to eliminate TTP’s (Fitna al-Khawarij) threat.
“The TTP (which we in Pakistan call Fitna Al Khawarij) is a group of special concern to Islamabad and should be of concern to the whole region and the world,” the Pakistani Ambassador said, while giving details of its deadly cross-border assaults that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and civilians.
Even three years following the Afghan Taliban assumed the reins of power in Kabul, the situation still continues to be dire and deeply concerning, Ambassador Akram stated. There will be no normalization “until the basic issues that trouble Afghanistan are addressed — terrorism, political inclusion, human rights, the problem of Afghan refugees and illegal Afghan migration.”
“Terrorism within and from Afghanistan poses the single most grave threat to the country, to the region and to the entire world, he stated, highlighting a recent UN report describing banned TTP as “the largest terrorist organization” in that country which receives increasing support from Taliban rulers to conduct cross-border assaults in Pakistan.
“While the Afghan Interim Government is fighting ISIL-K (Daesh) – without complete success so far – other terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, and the banned TTP and others, are not only present in Afghanistan; they appear to have been provided safe havens and protection by the Afghan Interim Government.”
At the same time, Pakistan’s envoy reaffirmed Islamabad’s dedication to supporting a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, echoing the shared aspirations of its neighboring nations and the global community for greater political inclusivity in Afghanistan.
Pakistan, he stated, firmly believes that such inclusivity was essential for enhancing the prospects of stability and normalization within Afghanistan.
However, the ambassador also expressed deep concern regarding the current violations of human rights by the Afghan Interim Government, especially against women and girls.
“The Afghan Interim Government has not only reneged on its commitments about women and girls but has exacerbated the situation by issuing new directives aimed at silencing them,” he added.
Ambassador Akram stated that Pakistan strongly denounces these actions. He added that these backward steps violate the ceasefire essence of our enlightened religion, which was among the first to uphold equal rights for both women and men.
The Pakistan Ambassador stated that while we remain committed to constructive engagement with the Taliban regime, it is clear that the interim government of Afghanistan must not be allowed to manipulate regional and global dynamics to avoid its obligations.
He o expressed deep concern over the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, three years following the Taliban assumed power. He stated that with 23.7 million Afghans in desperate need of humanitarian help, Pakistan asks the world to provide aid without conditions.
The Pakistani Ambassador urged Kabul to comply with its global responsibilities, warning that policies fostering regional, internal, and global instability cannot continue unchecked.
