ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, at the United Nations Security Council, says more than 4,700 Pakistanis have been killed in terrorist attacks linked to militant groups operating from Afghanistan in the past three years, calling for stronger international action against armed outfits based across the border.
Speaking during a Security Council meeting marking the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the country continues to face a serious security threat from terrorists enjoying safe havens in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan has suffered repeated attacks by groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the BLA’s Majeed Brigade.
“More than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan over the last three years,” Ambassador Ahmad told the council.
He alleged that these groups continue to operate with impunity from Afghan territory and receive significant external support.
Pakistan has consistently accused the Taliban-led Afghan administration of failing to prevent militants from using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Relations between the two neighboring countries have remained strained amid a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s border provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Earlier this year, armed clashes along the frontier disrupted trade and cross-border movement.
Addressing the Security Council, Ambassador Ahmad said the absence of sanctions against groups such as the BLA has allowed them to continue their activities unchecked.
He also urged the international community to take effective measures against other militant organizations, including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and the Islamic State’s regional affiliate, ISIL.
Asim Iftikhar further told the UNSC that Over 90,000 Pakistanis, including our brave security forces, law enforcement personnel, and innocent civilians, have lost their lives since the turn of this century, besides sustained economic damage as a direct result of terrorist violence.
"But we must also remember that this came with immense sacrifice. We continue to confront the challenges in our region," he added.