QUETTA, PAKISTAN –Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Durrani has warned that another 9/11 kind of attack could stem from Afghanistan, saying he is “worried” about the presence of various terrorist groups operating inside the country.
Mr. Durrani made the remarks during a talk in the Pakistani capital Islamabad as reported by the Express Tribune, saying Afghanistan has “almost been forgotten.”
“There is no doubt about it and this was in fact highlighted during the Doha 3 session in June,” he said. “Humanitarian assistance is not up to the mark. Even last year only one-third of the commitments were fulfilled.”
The special envoy on Afghanistan who has met Taliban leaders on several occasions further said that in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas war, the international community’s priorities have been shifted.
“In fact, Afghanistan is no more in the news. Forget about front or back pages, even in the inner pages Afghanistan is absent,” he stated, cautioning “I think it can push back Afghanistan to pre-9/11 conditions and which in fact then give birth to 9/11.”
Moreover, Mr. Durrani expressed concerns about the dire economic and humanitarian crisis that has plagued 97 per cent of the country’s population, of which he said “52 per cent rely on international assistance.”
“And if the economic situation continues to deteriorate, I think our concern should be that people in Afghanistan would start leaving the country and their most favorite destination is Pakistan,” the top Pakistani diplomat indicated, calling on the international community to realize their responsibilities.
Speaking of terrorist groups, including the regional affiliate of Islamic State known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), operating in the country under the Taliban, Mr. Durrani warned these outfits are “a major challenge for the region and beyond.”
“My worry is that ISKP is gaining ground inside Afghanistan and that should be a source of concern for everyone in the region and beyond because of their actions in Iran, their actions in Moscow and also many operations inside Pakistan. If that can happen here it can happen elsewhere,” he said.
This is not the first time Pakistani diplomats have alerted on security threats emanating from the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
In July, the Pakistani’ special envoy on Afghanistan made similar remarks while speaking in a conference in Islamabad. Durrani warned that terrorism originating from Afghanistan impacts not only Pakistan but also neighboring countries such as China, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
He reiterated his call for the Taliban to take action against terrorist groups and prevent Afghanistan’s soil from being used by these groups.
The Pakistani diplomat’s remarks came as his country has experienced a surge in terrorist attacks since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, which border Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban takeover, militant groups like the Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates, which share ideological, operational, and personal alignment with the Afghan Taliban, a proxy of Islamabad’s national security establishment, have escalated their violence against Pakistan’s security forces and civilians.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring its enemy TTP and its affiliates, training them, and supplying them with advanced military equipment to conduct cross-border attacks.
TTP attacks, Mr. Durrani said, have increased by 70 per cent in Pakistan in recent years.
The Taliban, however, has repeatedly denied the presence of international terrorist groups, including TTP, in Afghanistan and their ties with them.
The ruling regime also claims to have eradicated ISKP, saying Afghanistan’s territory poses no threat to its neighbors or the region at large.
