Amid a rise in security incidents in Pakistan, the country’s deputy representative to the United Nations raised concern about militant groups acquiring modern weaponry for terrorist activities. He called on the UN to investigate how these groups, especially Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) acquired these weapons intending to destabilize his country.
During an open discussion at the UN Security Council regarding the threat of small arms and light weapons, Pakistan’s Deputy representative, Usman Jadoon, said that terrorists and criminals don’t manufacture these advanced arms, instead, they acquire them from illegal arms markets or receive them from entities aiming to destabilize specific regions or countries. “it’s the responsibility of all the states and the UN to take measures to prevent illicit trade, transfer and diversion of these arms,” he added.
Pakistan has witnessed an upswing in terrorist attacks in recent months, with TTP and other militant groups intensifying their violence against the country’s security forces and civilians. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have been particularly affected, accounting for the majority of fatalities and attacks. In the most recent assault on a police station in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, at least 23 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives, and dozens more were injured on December 12. The newly established militant group known as Tahreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), identified as an affiliate of the TTP, has taken responsibility for the attack.
Pakistan claims that members of militant groups like TTP and TJP are hiding in Afghanistan, receiving training and advanced military weapons to destabilize the region. The country has consistently urged the Taliban in Afghanistan to take decisive actions against those responsible for recent security incidents and surrender them to Pakistan. However, the Taliban insists they have no ties to TTP or recent security events in Pakistan, stating that they are not responsible for Pakistan’s internal security issues.
Last week, Pakistani customs officials and security forces revealed their interception of a smuggling attempt involving a substantial quantity of “US-made weapons” across the Torkham border from Afghanistan. As reported by Radio Pakistan, the hidden cache of weapons, which included M4 rifles, Kalashnikovs, magazines, night vision equipment, laser devices, and a substantial amount of ammunition, was cleverly concealed among sacks of onions in a truck.
The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported to Congress last February, revealing that nearly $7.2 billion worth of military equipment, including aircraft, guns, vehicles, and specialized gear like night vision goggles and biometric devices, was left behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal. The Special Inspector was informed by the Pentagon that there “is no realistic way to retrieve the material that remains in Afghanistan, given that the United States does not recognize the Taliban as a government.”
Pakistan’s authorities claim that militant groups have acquired the US-made military equipment and are actively working to destabilize the country. Former Pakistani senator and federal minister, Mohammad Ali Durrani, previously warned that the risk of another 9/11 cannot be ruled out unless the supply of the latest weaponry to terrorists is curtailed. “A new war is being orchestrated against Pakistan through the latest American arms,” he said. In such circumstances, the US should support Pakistan with the latest technology in the war against terrorism. “It is the interest of the US to play a role for peace in the region,” he said.
In late 2022, Afghan Peach Watch, a US-based organization, also revealed that the weapons abandoned by the US-led forces in Afghanistan, including night vision thermal guns, M4 rifles, and M16 rifles, are being smuggled and sold in Pakistani markets.
