ISLAMABAD: Following the U.S. Military’s exit from Afghanistan, the extensive cache of arms abandoned there has turned into a major and hazardous factor driving the expansion of terrorism in Pakistan.
As stated in an article by The Diplomat, roughly $7.1 billion in military equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan during the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. Forces encompassing more than 427,000 small firearms, night vision gadgets, thermal devices and various other sophisticated military supplies.
The U.S. Department of Defense has verified that these advanced weapons were acquired by the Taliban forming an element of their armed forces. In 2021 the Taliban captured 1 million units of military gear though Taliban officials have stated that at least 50% of this equipment is currently unaccounted for.
Specialists indicate that the arms have probably been traded, trafficked or misplaced substantially raising safety threats throughout the area.
The report emphasizes that illicit arms markets in Kabul and Kandahar have turned into signs of this unregulated spread with these firearms even making their way to militant factions, beyond the border. Pakistan is facing the direct and deadly impacts of this issue.
Having obtained arms, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has demonstrated a notable rise in both the scale and complexity of its assaults. Many weapons captured in Pakistan correspond to the numbers of U.S. Equipment provided to Afghan troops.
Alongside ground attacks, the deployment of drones and armed quadcopters has escalated, with night vision and thermal technology rendering activities significantly more deadly.
The Diplomats report recognizes that the Pakistani military is fighting terrorism at the forefront. Nevertheless, it also asserts that the TTP has continued to obtain material assistance from the de facto rulers in Kabul.
The existence of refuges in Afghanistan and the widespread accessibility of arms continue to be significant issues for Pakistan.
To sum up the report, it conveys the message that the world community needs to be more effective in hearing and implementing their call, war material proliferation and the terrorism threat in Afghanistan are their concerns that require urgent attention. Several steps, including monitoring of weapons, offensive against a trade in weapons illegally and elevating the pressure on the Taliban are seen as necessary to achieve peace and stability in the region.
