EDITORIAL: Pakistan’s longstanding warnings about terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan have acquired renewed significance with the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions monitoring team reporting an estimated 6,000 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters operating from Afghan territory.
The report, cited by Pakistan’s information ministry in its latest exchange with the Afghan Taliban authorities, also describes Taliban support for the group. These findings demand serious international attention. Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about cross-border terrorism, while continuing to suffer the human and economic consequences of an insurgency that has claimed civilian and security personnel’s lives and placed enormous pressure on national resources.
The presence of such a substantial militant force across the border raises fundamental questions about the Afghan Taliban administration’s willingness and ability to fulfil its counterterrorism responsibilities. Pakistan has consistently demanded that Afghan territory be prevented from serving as a base for attacks against its citizens. Kabul has disputed accusations that it shelters militants targeting Pakistan. Yet the assessment of an independent UN monitoring mechanism gives Islamabad’s concerns additional weight and makes continued dismissal of the problem increasingly difficult to justify. The Taliban authorities must demonstrate through verifiable action that militant organisations are being denied sanctuary, logistical support and operational freedom.
The cost to Pakistan has been considerable. Terrorist violence has taken lives, disrupted economic activity, undermined investor confidence and forced the state to devote substantial financial and security resources to containing the threat. Communities in affected areas have endured repeated insecurity, while businesses and ordinary citizens bear the wider consequences. These costs extend far beyond immediate casualties or damage to infrastructure. Persistent violence discourages investment, complicates development, and diverts public resources from education, healthcare and other essential services.
The availability of weapons and military equipment in Afghanistan adds another troubling dimension. The withdrawal of American forces in 2021 left substantial quantities of US-funded military equipment in the country, much of it previously supplied to Afghan government forces. Pakistan has repeatedly expressed concern about sophisticated weapons of American origin appearing in the hands of militants attacking its security personnel. Establishing the provenance and transfer routes of particular weapons requires credible tracing and investigation, but the broader risk posed by uncontrolled military stockpiles deserves international scrutiny. Those responsible for Afghanistan’s security environment cannot disregard the possibility of such equipment sustaining militant violence beyond its borders.
Pakistan’s determination to eliminate the TTP threat therefore warrants recognition and practical international support. The UN findings should encourage stronger diplomatic engagement with Kabul, coordinated efforts to disrupt militant financing and supply networks, and effective mechanisms for monitoring compliance with counterterrorism commitments. Regional and international partners should insist on measurable outcomes, including action against training facilities, leadership structures and cross-border operational networks. Statements of reassurance from Kabul can carry credibility only when accompanied by demonstrable changes on the ground.
Islamabad must meanwhile maintain a coherent approach combining effective domestic counterterrorism operations, intelligence coordination, border management and diplomatic pressure. Any measures undertaken across the border must remain consistent with international law and the imperative to protect civilians. Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns also require sustained engagement with neighbouring countries and international institutions, since instability in Afghanistan presents risks extending beyond Pakistan alone.
The Afghan Taliban authorities still have an opportunity to address these concerns through cooperation rather than confrontation. Their responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorist attacks is central to any credible improvement in relations with Pakistan. International recognition of the threat should now translate into meaningful pressure for compliance.
For Pakistan, the price of continued inaction is measured in lives, lost economic opportunity, and resources the country can scarcely afford to spare. The militants may have found sanctuary across the border. Their victims have no such luxury.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026