ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan said on Thursday that the latest United Nations Security Council report on Afghanistan had validated its long-standing concerns about the presence of terrorist groups across the border.
The sixteenth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team was presented to the UN Security Council. “De facto authorities continue to deny that any terrorist group has a footprint in or operates from their territory. That claim is not credible,” the report says.
“A wide range of member states consistently report that ISIL-K, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al Qaeda, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement also known as Turkestan Islamic Party (ETIM/TIP), Jamaat Ansarullah, Ittihadul Mujahideen Pakistan and others are present in Afghanistan. Some groups have used or continue to use Afghanistan to plan and prepare external attacks.”
At his weekly news conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the UN report had “corroborated what Pakistan has been saying all along” that terrorist sanctuaries inside Afghanistan pose a serious threat to regional peace and stability and undermine prospects for normalization between Islamabad and Kabul.
The spokesperson noted that the Security Council report details the configuration of several terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, with specific reference to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also called by Pakistan as Fitnah Al Khwarij. “These findings are in line with Pakistan’s official position and are now being heard loud and clear in international capitals.”
He added that the presence of such groups remained the main impediment to improving bilateral relations, including progress on border management, trade normalization and a lasting ceasefire. Andrabi underlined that Pakistan had consistently raised these concerns with the Afghan Taliban authorities and through multilateral and regional forums, including recent talks hosted by Iran.
While declining to comment on specific people mentioned in the UN report or alleged financial arrangements, the spokesperson said there was “sufficient evidence, including UN reports”, to establish that terrorist elements within Afghanistan enjoyed support from the Taliban regime.
He reiterated that Pakistan continued to support the continuity of regional engagement mechanisms in Afghanistan, but highlighted that Islamabad’s goodwill gestures had not been reciprocated.
On issues related to a supposed ceasefire with Afghanistan, Andrabi clarified that the understanding should not be seen in conventional military terms. “Terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil constitute firing,” he said, adding that such attacks continued despite Pakistan’s good faith efforts. “Unfortunately, this ceasefire does not hold.”
Turning to Reuters reports about an imminent visit by Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal General Asim Munir to the United States, the spokesperson contradicted the story “at its core.”
He said the report misleadingly suggested the visit had been planned and completed. “I don’t have any information about the visit,” Andrabi said, adding that official announcements were always made when high-level visits ended. “In this case no such announcement has been made.”
He stressed that both political and military leaders regularly visited foreign capitals, but speculation based on anonymous sources should not be considered confirmation.
In response to subsequent questions, the spokesman rejected comparisons with previous visits by former military rulers to Washington that resulted in large aid packages. He said any discussion of economic or strategic outcomes was premature and speculative. “We would expect an official announcement from the Government of Pakistan in case of such a visit,” he said.
The briefing also addressed what Islamabad described as a sustained disinformation campaign against Pakistan, particularly after a recent terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Australia.
Andrabi said Indian media, aided by media and social media in Israel and Afghanistan, had falsely linked the attack to Pakistan before the perpetrator was identified as an Indian national. He said Pakistan had raised such cases at relevant international forums, warning that persistent disinformation eroded the credibility of those propagating it.
The spokesperson also raised Pakistan’s growing concern over abrupt variations in the flow of the Chenab River earlier this month. Andrabi said Pakistan had observed unusual fluctuations between December 7 and 15, pointing to unilateral releases of water by India without prior notification or sharing of data, in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
He said Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner had formally written to his Indian counterpart seeking clarification under the treaty mechanisms. “Any manipulation of river flows by India, especially at a critical point in our agricultural cycle, directly threatens the lives, livelihoods, food security and economic security of our citizens,” the spokesperson warned.
Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the IWT, Andrabi described the treaty as a binding international agreement that had served as an instrument of regional peace and stability for decades. He warned that any violation not only undermined international law and the sanctity of treaties, but also posed serious risks to regional peace and good-neighborly principles.
Asked whether Pakistan would invoke Article 9 of the IWT, which deals with dispute settlement, the spokesperson said Islamabad had “all options available” and would exercise them to safeguard its legitimate water rights. “We will also ensure that India does not weaponize water,” he said, linking access to water with the fundamental right to life.
“Pakistan remains committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes with India,” Andrabi concluded, “but will not compromise the existential water rights of its people.”
