UN report links Afghan interim government to terrorist groups, highlights Pakistan’s concerns

The United Nations Monitoring Team (UNMT) has released its 36th report on terrorism, painting a grim picture of terrorist activity in Afghanistan and its ripple effects across the region, particularly in Pakistan.

The report reveals that banned organisations including ISIS, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Al-Qaeda are not only active in Afghanistan but are also allegedly operating with the support or complicity of the Afghan interim government. It states that these groups enjoy safe havens, receive logistical and operational support, and even access dangerous weaponry within Afghan borders.

One of the most alarming revelations is the scale of TTP’s presence, with an estimated 6,000 fighters supported by Afghan authorities. The group is reportedly armed with advanced weaponry and maintains ties with ISIS-Khorasan, suggesting the two are “two sides of the same coin,” the report said.

The UNMT report also highlights a collaborative network between TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in southern Afghanistan. The two groups are said to jointly run four training camps, including locations at Wali Kot and Sharabit, with Al-Qaeda providing both ideological indoctrination and weapons training.

ISIS-Khorasan (ISKP) is reported to have 2,000 active fighters in Afghanistan, operating with support from certain Afghan factions, further compounding the regional threat.

The report outlines the widespread presence of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, with its South Asian wing, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), firmly entrenched in provinces including Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Uruzgan, and Zabul.

Significantly, the report acknowledges Pakistan’s repeated concerns about cross-border terrorism. It stresses that Pakistan remains a primary victim of terrorist activities originating from Afghanistan and calls on the Afghan interim government to take concrete action against groups like TTP, BLA, and others.

The UN report concludes by urging the Afghan authorities to fulfill their commitments under the Doha Agreement and to ensure that Afghan soil is not used to threaten or destabilize any other country.