Pakistan warns Taliban regime is destabilizing the region

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has expressed grave concern regarding the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, noting a steady deterioration in Kabul’s conduct since the group returned to power in August 2021.

Ahmad highlighted reports from the UN sanctions monitoring team and the Secretary-General suggesting that Afghanistan has become a “safe haven for a number of terrorist groups.” He reinforced previous statements from Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, regarding the state of relations between the two neighboring countries.

The Ambassador noted that the international community’s frustration stems from unfulfilled benchmarks established during the 2020 Doha talks, which included the formation of an inclusive government, respect for human rights—specifically for women and girls—and a guarantee that Afghan soil would not be used to stage terrorist attacks.