United Nations, November 20,2025: The head of the UN Security Council’s Daesh and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee has endorsed Pakistan’s position that Afghan territory is being used to orchestrate terrorist attacks inside the country, warning that the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) poses a “serious threat” to regional security.
Sandra Jensen Landi, Denmark’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN and chair of the 1267 Sanctions Committee, told the Security Council that the TTP has carried out numerous high-profile attacks in Pakistan from across the border, several of which resulted in mass casualties. She noted that the group, with an estimated 6,000 fighters, continues to receive logistic and other substantial support from Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities”.
Landi delivered the briefing as the 15-member Council heard reports from three subsidiary bodies dealing with sanctions on terrorist groups, counter-terrorism efforts, and measures to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of non-state actors. The briefings highlighted how terrorists are exploiting new technologies, with Africa witnessing a particularly fast-evolving threat landscape.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Usman Jadoon, welcomed the findings, underscoring that the country has paid an “invaluable price” in its fight against terrorism — more than 80,000 lives lost and billions of dollars in economic damage.
He stressed that groups such as ISIL-K, TTP and its affiliates, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) continue to thrive inside Afghanistan “under the patronage of their hosts and backed by our principal adversary and net destabiliser in the region,” in a reference widely interpreted as pointing toward India.
Jadoon urged that the 1267 Committee’s work — including listing and delisting of individuals — must remain fair, transparent and free of political considerations. He further called on the UN system to develop tools that would allow the designation of far-right, xenophobic, ultranationalist and Islamophobic groups worldwide.
China’s representative also pushed for the listing of the BLA and its Majeed Brigade, saying the move would send a “strong signal” of zero tolerance for terrorism.
Islamabad-Kabul tensions have escalated sharply in recent months. Pakistan says the Afghan Taliban and India-backed TTP militants launched an unprovoked attack on October 12, prompting retaliatory action by Pakistani forces that killed more than 200 militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Pakistan lost 23 soldiers in the clashes.
Security forces also carried out precision strikes on militant positions in Kandahar, Kabul, and border areas of North and South Waziristan, destroying multiple strongholds linked to the TTP and allied factions.
Following a temporary ceasefire agreed during Doha talks on October 19, both sides held additional rounds in Istanbul. However, officials say the dialogue failed to produce a breakthrough due to Kabul’s “stubbornness” and its refusal to address Pakistan’s core concern of cross-border terrorism.
