ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has warned the United Nations that sophisticated weapons left behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign troops are now being used by terrorist groups, posing a grave threat to regional peace and stability.
Speaking at the UN Security Council’s open debate on small arms, Pakistan’s permanent representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said the unchecked flow of sophisticated weaponry from Afghanistan poses a “serious challenge to peace and security” not only for Pakistan but for the wider region.
“Pakistan is seriously concerned about the presence of stockpiles of sophisticated arms and ammunition in Afghanistan, as noted in the secretary-general’s reports,” Iftikhar said.
“The movement of unmarked or unregistered weapons across the international border sustain and aid non-state armed groups, terrorist networks, and criminal gangs, undermining regional security and stability,” he said.
He further said that Pakistan was “deeply concerned” at the acquisition and use of these “mostly abandoned, modern and potent weapons by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan, which continue to pose serious challenge to peace and security in Pakistan and the broader region”.
Weapons Left Behind, Now in Terrorists’ Hands
According to the UN report cited by the envoy, illicit arms markets have emerged in Afghanistan, with weapons being smuggled to neighbouring states in violation of the arms embargo. Iftikhar said Pakistan has credible evidence of attempts to traffic these weapons across the border for terrorist activities.
“Weapons confiscated at the Pakistan–Afghanistan border are traced back to stockpiles left behind by foreign forces in Afghanistan and illegal weapons being sold across black markets,” he said.
He warned that unmarked and unregistered weapons continue to fuel non-state armed groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan (ISIL-K), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade. These groups, he said, have used such arms in deadly attacks on Pakistani civilians and law enforcement agencies, killing thousands.
The ambassador urged stronger global cooperation to curb the illicit flow of weapons and ensure that the Afghan interim authorities uphold their international obligations.
“The international community must step up its efforts and plug gaps in its response to effectively address these threats to international and regional peace and security,” he said.
Iftikhar stressed that small arms have become “the weapons of choice for non-state actors,” directly undermining counterterrorism efforts and destabilising the region.
“We urge stronger international efforts to prevent access of illicit arms to armed terrorist groups in Afghanistan and to ensure that the Afghan interim authorities adhere to their international obligations and commitments in that regard,” he said.
“The international community needs to step up its efforts and plug gaps in its response to effectively address these threats to international and regional peace and security,” he added.
Post-Withdrawal Fallout
Following the US military withdrawal in August 2021, American forces destroyed dozens of aircraft and armoured vehicles before leaving Kabul. Yet, significant quantities of advanced weaponry and equipment remained and were later seized by the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan and several other nations have since expressed concern that these weapons have trickled into the hands of militant groups. In April, The Washington Post reported that firearms used in a train attack in Balochistan were traced to stockpiles left by US forces in Afghanistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly called on the UN to launch a concerted campaign to recover these weapons and prevent them from fuelling further instability in the region.
