NEW YORK: Pakistan has emerged at the center of renewed international concern at the United Nations, as senior officials from China and the UN Secretariat issued pointed warnings this week about the expanding spillover of militant violence from Afghanistan into the region.
In this regard, the warnings were delivered during separate high-level briefings in New York, mentioning what diplomats described as a troubling security trend that continues to affect neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan.
In this sense, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Sun Lei, said recent militant attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria underlined the urgency of stronger regional vigilance. He noted that terrorist groups continue to exploit porous borders and fragile governance structures, raising concerns for long-term stability.
So far, Ambassador Sun focused on the need for deeper engagement with Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its territory as a base for regional operations.
He stressed that cooperation with Kabul was essential to stop the re-emergence of safe havens and to address the movement of foreign terrorist fighters. The security efforts must also be matched with development initiatives, arguing that poverty and exclusion remain root causes of extremism.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres echoed similar concerns while outlining the world body’s approach to Afghanistan.
Moreover, Guterres paid particular attention to the threat posed by militant groups operating from Afghan soil, singling out the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a source of serious concern. He warned that continued activity by such groups could undermine not only Pakistan’s security but also broader regional peace.
Pakistan has experienced a noticeable rise in terrorist incidents in recent years, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Officials in Islamabad have repeatedly linked this surge to cross-border infiltration following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
