UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that it will act in self-defense against terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan, warning that it will no longer remain passive amid a surge in cross-border violence.
The statement by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, came during a Security Council meeting addressing the situation in Afghanistan five years after the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul.
"Pakistan cannot sit idle in the face of this terrorist onslaught," Ahmad told the council. "We will respond in self-defence, as and when needed and in accordance with international law. We will defend ourselves against whosoever attempts to harm our citizens and our national security."
Ahmad reported that more than 4,700 Pakistanis have been killed over the past three years by attacks originating from Afghan territory. He accused Kabul’s rulers of failing to take verifiable action against groups operating within its borders, including the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Baloch Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade, Islamic State-Khorasan, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
Ahmad also pointed to "external actors" who he said are using proxy groups inside Afghanistan to target Pakistan and neighboring states, while highlighting the dangers posed by illegal arms trafficking and military equipment left behind by departing international forces.
The debate underscored deep international divisions over how to engage Kabul five years after the Western withdrawal.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz took a hard line against the regime, criticizing its ongoing support for terrorist factions, human rights abuses, and the continued detention of American nationals.
"The United States will not tolerate the Taliban taking American citizens hostage. Period," Waltz said, demanding the immediate release of detained Americans and calling on the council to condemn the practice.
Waltz pointed to U.N. documentation of arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings, as well as bans prohibiting girls from receiving an education past the sixth grade and blocking Afghan women from entering U.N. compounds. He questioned the efficacy of ongoing diplomatic talks without tangible progress.
"How many UN reports documenting abuse? How many Council resolutions demanding change? How many years of ‘engagement’ can we pass before we see measurable results?" Waltz asked. "This Council must demand results from the Taliban. We need to see action, not words."
A recent report presented to the council by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres corroborated the presence of active terrorist networks and noted that anti-Taliban armed groups claimed responsibility for 88 attacks across 21 provinces between May 1 and late July. Guterres warned that the Taliban's systematic denial of rights to women and girls, combined with economic strain and an authoritarian governance structure, poses a threat to long-term regional stability and prevents Afghanistan's reintegration into the global community.
Despite security concerns, Ahmad noted that Islamabad has maintained humanitarian support, permitting at least 687 cargo trucks to enter Afghanistan during the reporting period. However, he expressed frustration that early hopes for regional stabilization had turned into "despair and disappointment."
By contrast, representatives from Russia and China advocated for continued diplomatic engagement and economic assistance rather than isolation.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia argued that there is "no alternative" to pragmatic dialogue with the Taliban, stating that predictions of total collapse following the 2021 foreign troop withdrawal had not occurred. He attributed relative stability to Kabul's emphasis on regional development and called for interactions "fully free from the language of pressure and blackmail."
Chinese Deputy Ambassador Sun Lei urged patience and continued dialogue, though he acknowledged that restrictions on women and girls harm Afghanistan's social stability and complicate international recognition. Sun called on the Taliban to protect fundamental rights while implicitly criticizing the U.S., urging a "relevant country" to lift unilateral sanctions, return frozen central bank assets, and resume development assistance.
