By Uzma Ehtasham
The fallout from the American withdrawal from Afghanistan continues to ripple across South Asia, and nowhere is its impact more immediate and alarming than in Pakistan. A recent CNN report paints a stark picture: modern weaponry left behind in Afghanistan is now in the hands of terrorist groups within Pakistan, fundamentally altering the landscape of militancy and counterterrorism. Rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, and other sophisticated arms, initially supplied to support the Afghan military, were abandoned in vast quantities as US forces departed. Former Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko estimates that roughly 300,000 modern arms remained in Afghanistan, many of which have since fallen into the hands of groups such as the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
The implications of this proliferation are profound. Pakistani security forces have repeatedly recovered weapons bearing American insignia in operations across South Waziristan and Balochistan, confirming the scale and reach of the problem. These arms have empowered militants to execute attacks that are not only more lethal but also meticulously coordinated, reflecting a new level of sophistication in tactics. The danger extends beyond Pakistan’s borders, with neighbors including China and Iran directly affected by the technical capabilities of armed groups operating along shared frontiers. The BLA’s formal designation as a terrorist organization by the United States in August 2025 further underscores the global dimensions of this challenge, highlighting that the fallout of Afghanistan’s collapse is not a regional problem alone—it is a transnational security crisis.
Reports from the United Nations have long identified the Taliban-supported TTP network as Afghanistan’s largest terrorist apparatus. Yet these warnings, largely advisory in nature, have had limited practical impact. The current reality in Pakistan illustrates that statements, however stern, are insufficient in the absence of enforceable, coordinated action. The international community’s post-9/11 efforts offer a sobering but instructive precedent: determined engagement, backed by intelligence, logistics, and diplomatic pressure, can constrain terrorist networks. The lessons of history suggest that similar concerted effort is urgently needed now, before the proliferation of abandoned arms allows militants to gain further ground. In Pakistan, the human and institutional response to this threat has been immediate and visible.
The recent visit of Army Chief and Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir to Quetta is emblematic of the military’s approach to confronting militancy. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), he reviewed the security situation, visited personnel injured in recent operations, and reaffirmed the armed forces’ commitment to confronting terrorism without compromise. Munir’s message was unequivocal: no militant or facilitator, regardless of backing or affiliation, will escape lawful action. Acts of violence can never be justified under any pretext, he asserted, signaling a zero-tolerance policy at the highest level of military leadership. Yet, despite these reassurances, the challenge remains daunting.
Pakistan now faces an intricate web of threats: militant groups operating with foreign support, advanced weaponry abandoned by departing forces, and porous borders that allow the circulation of arms, fighters, and ideology. Each element of this web amplifies the other. Abandoned American weapons are not just tools—they are enablers, providing militants with the means to execute attacks that were previously beyond their capacity. Every recovered cache highlights the scale of the problem and the stakes of inaction. Addressing this crisis demands more than domestic resolve. The transnational nature of the threat requires a coordinated regional and international strategy, combining intelligence-sharing, border security, and proactive disruption of arms trafficking networks.
Pakistan cannot confront this alone. Diplomatic engagement, logistical cooperation, and sustained pressure on networks operating from Afghan territory are necessary complements to domestic military operations. History shows that militancy, if left unchecked, does not respect borders. Inaction in one country becomes instability in another, and the consequences can be catastrophic, both for security and for civilian life. At the same time, Pakistan’s response must balance firmness with strategic foresight. Heavy-handed approaches without political engagement or socio-economic initiatives risk further alienating communities vulnerable to extremist influence. While military operations are essential to dismantle armed groups, long-term stability depends on addressing the conditions that allow militancy to flourish: poverty, marginalization, and political exclusion.
Security, in other words, is inseparable from governance, development, and dialogue. The presence of advanced foreign weaponry in Pakistan’s militant theatres underscores an uncomfortable truth: international policy decisions, even those made thousands of miles away, have immediate and sometimes devastating local consequences. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan, driven by strategic recalibration, has left behind a void that is being filled with violence and instability. Pakistan’s security apparatus is confronting this legacy directly, but the problem is as much diplomatic and international as it is military.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
