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UN Urges Afghan Taliban to Stop Cross-Border Terrorism Against Pakistan

By The South Asia Times

NEW YORK - The United Nations has called on the Afghan Taliban to prevent their territory from being used to support terrorist attacks in Pakistan, highlighting concerns over the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist groups.

Speaking during a press briefing, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of preventing cross-border terrorism from Afghan soil. “We are particularly concerned with what happened with the Pakistani Taliban and the support they might receive,” he said. “It is essential that no terrorist organizations operate from Afghanistan into other countries.”

The comments come amid reports from the UN Security Council confirming Taliban support for the TTP, which continues to carry out deadly attacks in Pakistan. The UN chief also emphasized that the international community’s pledge to prevent cross-border attacks must be respected.

Guterres reiterated the UN’s broader objectives in Afghanistan, including ensuring inclusive governance, protecting human rights—particularly for women and girls—and controlling drug trafficking. While he acknowledged some progress in drug control and partial engagement with women in private-sector roles, he expressed frustration over the Taliban’s failure to meet international expectations in governance and human rights.

“The fact that we still do not have access for girls to standard secondary education and above, and that our female staff cannot work in headquarters, is unacceptable,” Guterres added, underscoring the ongoing challenges in the country.

The UN has maintained engagement with the Taliban through the Doha Process, balancing pragmatic cooperation in certain areas with persistent concerns over human rights, governance, and security issues affecting neighboring countries like Pakistan.