UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called for stronger regulation of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies to prevent terrorist financing, and accountability for criminal networks trafficking arms, weapons and drones to terrorist groups, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorist groups.
Speaking during an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Counsellor Muhammad Jawad Ajmal underscored Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorism while upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms.
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Pakistan Urges Human Rights-Based Counter-Terrorism, Calls for Accountability for Extraterritorial Killings and Cross-Border Terror Networks
– Our Press Release
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) October 22, 2026
He emphasised that the definition of terrorism must align with international law and distinguish terrorist acts from the legitimate exercise of the right to self-determination by peoples living under foreign occupation.
Expressing concern over human rights violations in occupied territories, particularly Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, Jawad Ajmal highlighted reports of forced displacement, settler violence, demographic changes, arbitrary detention, torture and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment.
Counsellor Muhammad Jawad Ajmal took part in an interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism in the Third Committee of the General Assembly.
He made the following important points:
➡️ As a country that has remained at the forefront of global efforts to combat terrorism, Pakistan attaches great importance to an international law-based global order that ensures protection of human rights while countering terrorism.
➡️ The definition of terrorism must be consistent with international law. We must, therefore, distinguish between terrorism and exercise of the legitimate right of people to resist foreign occupation and for exercising their inalienable right to self-determination.
➡️ We remain deeply concerned that in the conflict situations, particularly situations of foreign occupation, such as in IIOJK and Palestine, the occupying powers continue to use repressive measures to violate human rights and fundamental freedoms.
➡️ Listings of terrorist individuals and entities must not directly or indirectly discriminate on prohibited grounds, including religion.
➡️ The UNSC sanctions regimes are not fully compliant with international human rights standards and due process guarantees. These should be made more equitable and transparent, in line with human rights law.
➡️ Countries are also involved in one of the gravest violations of human rights under the pretext of counter terrorism with their extra-territorial assassination campaigns that contravene provisions of international law, raising serious concerns about state sponsored terrorism through organized criminal networks across the globe.
➡️ Organized criminal networks are involved in terror financing through anonymous transactions such as crypto currencies and virtual assets all of which must be regulated.
➡️ Organized criminal networks are also involved in illicit trade of arms and weapons, as well as drones to facilitate terrorist groups such as the TTP and BLA in our region. Such networks and their financial backers must be held to account.
➡️ We would also like to seek the views of Special Rapporteur on the methodology adopted towards the preparation of the report and next steps in the process.
Complete video statement below
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) October 22, 2026
He stressed that the UN counter-terrorism framework must address emerging threats posed by violent nationalist, far-right and Islamophobic groups, while ensuring that terrorist designations are free from discrimination on prohibited grounds, including religion.
He also called for greater transparency and stronger due-process safeguards in UN Security Council sanctions regimes, alongside an expanded mandate and enhanced capacity for the Ombudsperson under the 1267 sanctions regime.
Warning against extraterritorial assassination campaigns carried out in the name of counter-terrorism, the Pakistani delegate said such actions raise serious concerns about violations of international law and state-sponsored violence.
Highlighting security challenges emanating from Afghanistan, Jawad Ajmal said Pakistan had lost more than 4,700 lives over the preceding three years, underscoring the urgent need to dismantle terrorist networks targeting neighbouring countries and hold their facilitators and financial backers accountable.
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Referring to India’s attacks on Pakistani territory on the night of May 6–7, 2025, he said strikes on civilian areas had claimed 54 Pakistani lives, including 15 children and 13 women, among them infants.
He condemned the attacks as violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing that counter-terrorism must never be used to justify the unlawful use of force against civilians.
Jawad Ajmal also sought the Special Rapporteur’s views on the methodology adopted in preparing the report and the next steps in the process.
