The United Nations has once again raised the alarm over threats to peace emanating from Afghanistan, highlighting the persistent danger posed by terrorist networks such as Al-Qaeda and the factional offshoots of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The latest UN report, submitted to the Security Council on 24 July 2025 by the analytical and sanctions monitoring team, paints a troubling picture of these groups operating with relative freedom across Afghan territory. Far from being a domestic concern, their activities now pose a destabilizing risk to Central Asia and the wider region. Notably, this is the 36th report of its kind, underscoring that successive Afghan authorities have failed to contain or restrict networks that continue to thrive with impunity.
According to the UN’s findings, extremist groups are active in six Afghan provinces: Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Uruzgan, and Zabul. Among these, three host newly established training camps where militants undergo advanced military instruction. The TTP alone is reported to have around six thousand fighters equipped with modern weaponry, amplifying the lethality and sophistication of their attacks. The UN warns that without immediate dismantling of these facilitation networks, training infrastructure, and safe havens, the threat to regional security will continue to escalate.
Afghanistan’s history makes this vulnerability unsurprising. For over five decades, its rugged terrain and strategic location have rendered it a theatre for conflict and external manipulation. Afghans are renowned for their resistance to foreign occupation, yet history shows they have also been willing participants in mercenary activity when it suited political or economic interests. In the 1970s, Afghan fighters, backed by Pakistan, became key players in the Cold War proxy battle against the Soviet Union, receiving significant financial and military support from the United States. This alliance yielded a short-term victory: Soviet forces were defeated and the United States emerged as the sole global superpower. But when their strategic utility ended, these fighters were abandoned, splintering into rival factions that would later sow instability at home and increasingly clash with Pakistan, once their ally.
The Taliban’s rise must be understood against this backdrop of fractured power and shifting loyalties. Emerging as a faction of Afghan mujahideen, the Taliban consolidated control over much of the country and, during their initial rule, provided sanctuary to Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. The catastrophic attacks of 11 September 2001 thrust Afghanistan—and the Taliban—onto the global stage. NATO’s subsequent invasion of Afghanistan and the decade-long war that followed transformed the country into a focal point of international security concerns. Pakistan, allied with the United States, found itself under sustained attack from Taliban factions, while India reportedly used Afghan territory to support anti-Pakistan operations, further complicating the regional security landscape.
The current escalation is part of this longstanding pattern. Recent weeks have seen elements aligned with the Taliban, operating under Kabul’s administration, engage in cross-border attacks against Pakistan, often under the guise of extremist factions. Islamabad has responded decisively. The Pakistan Armed Forces have thwarted incursions and neutralized nearly a hundred militants in recent operations, demonstrating both vigilance and military preparedness. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that these attacks, allegedly orchestrated at India’s behest, were met with a robust counteroffensive led by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, signaling that Pakistan will not tolerate incursions that compromise its sovereignty.
This latest episode highlights a stark reality: Afghanistan’s instability is not contained within its borders. The lack of effective governance and the Taliban’s willingness to act under external influence continue to threaten regional peace and security. For Pakistan, the threat is immediate and tangible, but the implications extend far beyond. Central Asia, the broader Middle East, and even global security architecture are affected by the unchecked proliferation of militant networks. The region remains a corridor of insecurity where terrorist groups operate freely, training fighters, stockpiling weapons, and planning attacks that could reverberate far beyond Kabul.
The UN’s repeated warnings underscore the need for urgent international action. Yet, for decades, global interventions have been inconsistent, reactive, and often politically constrained. Simply condemning attacks or issuing reports is insufficient. The international community, including regional powers, must confront not only the Taliban’s militancy but also the expansionist ambitions of external actors exploiting Afghan territory for strategic advantage. Without such intervention, Afghanistan will continue to be a breeding ground for extremism, with repercussions that threaten both regional stability and global peace.
History offers a cautionary tale. The post-Soviet era in Afghanistan illustrates the perils of short-term alliances and abandoned promises. Fighters once celebrated as heroes became rogue actors, splintering into factions that perpetuated cycles of violence. Pakistan’s experience of cross-border terrorism, partly seeded during that period, remains a vivid reminder that failure to address militant safe havens yields consequences far beyond the initial conflict. Today, these lessons are urgent and unavoidable.
The UN report should not be read as a routine administrative exercise. It is a wake-up call. Afghanistan’s current trajectory is unsustainable. Allowing terrorist groups to operate with impunity, under any administration, compromises not only the country’s internal stability but also regional security frameworks that underpin peace in South Asia and Central Asia. The risk is compounded when such activities intersect with broader geopolitical rivalries, where neighboring states may seek to exploit instability for strategic gain.
Pakistan’s response—measured, robust, and strategic—offers a model for how nations can defend their sovereignty while adhering to international norms. By neutralizing threats, securing borders, and remaining vigilant, Islamabad demonstrates that targeted action against militancy is both necessary and possible. Yet, the ultimate solution requires a multilateral approach. The UN and global actors must move beyond reports and resolutions, engaging actively to dismantle training camps, disrupt facilitation networks, and hold accountable those who use Afghan territory as a springboard for regional destabilization.
