NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar has warned that terrorism originating from Afghanistan is a threat to global peace and security.
Iftikhar presented evidence of multiple terrorist organizations that operate in Afghanistan during his address at the United Nations Security Council meeting about Afghanistan. He reported that these organizations conduct operational activities from their bases in Afghanistan, which they use to execute suicide bomb attacks against their targets in various Pakistani cities.
He mentioned the February 26 attack against Pakistan when Afghan terrorists conducted a wrongful assault which resulted in the deaths of Pakistani citizens. The Pakistani military executed precise military operations that destroyed enemy combatants and terrorists, together with the confiscation of foreign weapons during their anti-terror operations.
Iftikhar stated that Afghanistan now serves as a base for terrorist organizations which creates additional threats to both regional and international peace. Pakistan wants to achieve a peaceful and secure Afghanistan, yet it confirmed this statement. The Taliban government in Afghanistan must establish peace, according to him, yet they continue to break the Doha Agreement which stands as the sole path to achieving enduring peace.
The United Nations Security Council convened for its standard session about Afghanistan, which Iftihar attended to present his statement. The session examined the ongoing security threats that the Taliban government and regional terrorist groups brought to Afghanistan.
US designates Afghanistan as state sponsor of wrongful detention
Earlier, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Afghanistan is being officially designated as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention” in response to the Taliban’s continued practice of holding individuals without legal justification. This designation follows growing concerns over the Taliban’s use of terrorism and unlawful detentions to extract political concessions.
Rubio condemned the Taliban through his statement because he explained that the US government would not give in to their methods. Rubio explained that terrorists from the Taliban organization who seek to gain political advantages through their attacks will not win because of this administration’s response.
The Secretary of State singled out the cases of Dennis Coyle and Mahmood Habibi, two Americans who are currently being detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Rubio demanded that the Taliban free all Americans who face unjust detention in Afghanistan together with Dennis Coyle and Mahmood Habibi because he represents the US government’s intention to work for their release.
The US government has now designated Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention which represents a fundamental change in its existing approach. The Taliban received a direct warning through this action which shows that their activities will face opposition.
The US government will pursue the immediate release of Americans who remain detained while using diplomatic and economic methods to hold the Taliban responsible for their international law violations, according to Secretary Rubio’s statement.
