UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan figured prominently in warnings sounded at the United Nations this week about the growing spillover of terrorist threats from Afghanistan, with both China and the UN chief expressing concern over militant violence affecting the country.

Addressing a high-level briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei said that while the Central Asia region remained broadly stable, it continued to be affected by cross-border terrorism.

“Currently, the Central Asia region remains generally stable, yet is still deeply affected by the spillover effect of terrorist threats,” he said, citing recent attacks in Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan that “deserve our high vigilance”.

Emphasising Pakistan’s long-standing concerns, the Chinese envoy called for closer cooperation with Kabul. “We need to strengthen engagement and cooperation with Afghanistan to prevent it from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorist organisations, and to jointly prevent and address the return of foreign terrorist fighters,” he said.

Beijing calls for cooperation with Kabul to stop militants using Afghan soil; Guterres flags TTP threat under Taliban regime

Ambassador Sun also underlined the importance of development in countering extremism. “At the same time, it is imperative to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to eliminate the root causes of terrorism,” he said.

UN concerns

A day earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres raised similar concerns at a briefing in New York. He said the UN remained committed to four key objectives in Afghanistan, while voicing frustration over the Taliban’s failure to make progress on inclusivity, human rights and regional security.

“We need to make sure that Afghan institutions are truly inclusive, that all ethnic groups are represented and that all sectors of society are represented,” he said, calling this “a basic condition for the consolidation of peace”.

On women’s rights, the UN chief expressed concern over restrictions limiting women’s ability to work. “[UN Undersecretary General] Rosemary DiCarlo managed to guarantee the possibility for our female staff to work in the field, but not in our headquarters, and we are very frustrated by that.” He described the Taliban’s failure to meet the expectations of the international community as “unacceptable”.

Turning to security, Guterres highlighted the threat posed by groups operating from Afghan soil. “Another aspect is the need to make sure that no terrorist organisations can operate from Afghanistan into other countries. We are particularly concerned about what has happened with the Pakistani Taliban [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] and the support they might receive.”

He added that the UN had seen meaningful progress on drug trafficking since the Taliban’s return, but lamented the lack of improvement on other fronts. “In relation to the three other aspects, we have frustration, because we do not see our legitimate concerns making the progress that is essential.”

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terrorist incidents in recent years, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with officials linking much of the violence to cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.

Analysts say the resurgent TTP and allied groups have increased attacks inside Pakistan while allegedly enjoying safe havens across the Afghan border.

Islamabad has consistently urged the international community to press Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militants targeting Pakistan, arguing that regional and global security remain directly tied to stability in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2026