Pakistan urges UNSC to prioritise matter of terrorism from Afghan soil
Pakistan
The resolution called on the Taliban to take active measures to combat terrorism
NEW YORK (Dunya News) – Pakistan on Tuesday called on the interntional community and the United Nations Security Council (UNSc) to address terrorism within and from Afghanistan as “a matter of priority”.
The15-member Council adopted a resolution which extended the mandate of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by one year.
Pakistan’s permanent Ambassador in UN Munir Akram on Monday told the Security Council: “The Taliban government has not been effective in eliminating ISIS/Daesh; it has tolerated several other terrorist groups and is complicit in the cross-border attacks against Pakistan by the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), together with the BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) and its Majeed Brigade.”
Explaining cross-border attacks from Afghan soil, Munir Akram pointed out last week’s deadly attack by BLA and the Majeed Brigade on the Peshawar-bound train, Jafferabad Express.
“Throughout the attack, the terrorists were in direct contact with their ‘handlers’ in Afghanistan, from where the attack was planned and directed,” Ambassador Akram told delegates, adding “We also have evidence that this attack was initiated and financed by our principal adversary, using its proxies in Afghanistan.”
Akram went on to elaborate that the train attack and other such terrorist attacks were aimed to destabilise Pakistan particularly to disrupt Pakistan’s cooperation with China and the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The envoy thanked the UNSC’s strong press statement on the attack against the “Jaffar Express”, noting that the Council members had “underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and to bring them to justice” and also called on all states to “cooperate actively” with Pakistan to this end.
He said, “serious concern over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan” and further reaffirmed its “demand that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten or attack any country, to plan or finance terrorist acts, or to shelter and train terrorists” and “that no Afghan group or individual should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country”.
The resolution called on the Taliban to take active measures to combat terrorism.
The Security Council and its Counter-Terrorism machinery must also take “active measures” to secure implementation of the Security Council’s decisions to address the challenge of terrorism within and from Afghanistan, particularly from
ISIL-K, Al-Qaida, the TTP, BLA and the Majeed Brigade, the Pakistani envoy said.
“These terrorist organisations pose a serious threat to peace and security in Afghanistan, in the region and globally. Pakistan will propose some concrete steps to enable the United Nations to achieve these Counter-terrorism objectives,” Akram said in conclusion.
