KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan has called on the UN to take immediate action against the spread of illicit arms falling into the hands of terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan.
During a UN meeting on Saturday, Syed Atif Raza, Pakistan’s UN mission counsellor, raised concern over the billions of dollars’ worth of illegal arms left behind in Afghanistan. He said that these weapons are being used in violence against civilians and Pakistan’s armed forces, pointing to the recent surge in violence in Pakistan.
“The terrorist groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), are using the abandoned weaponry in violence against civilians and Pakistan’s armed forces,” Raza said. He also claimed that these groups receive external support and financing from Pakistan’s “principal adversary.”
The Pakistani diplomat called on international partners to help recover the vast stockpile of abandoned weapons, prevent their access by armed terrorist groups, and take decisive steps to dismantle the thriving black market for illicit arms.
The remarks come amid a new report by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, which reveals that weapons left behind by Soviet and NATO forces are easily accessible in markets across Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal districts.
The report, titled “Documenting Arms Availability In Afghanistan under the Taliban,” underscores the difficulty in controlling the flow of arms, despite the Taliban’s efforts to restrict civilian access. It suggests that trafficking continues, likely with the approval of lower-ranking Taliban officials.
The investigation also highlights the complexity of tackling cross-border trafficking due to the Taliban’s ties with regional terror groups, including TTP and Al-Qaeda.
The report notes a significant rise in the prices of certain NATO and Soviet-pattern arms in Afghanistan, driven by growing demand. For instance, the price of US M4 rifles rose by 13% from late 2022 to mid-2024, with the average price climbing from $1,787 to $3,813. Similarly, M16 rifles saw a 38% increase, with the average price rising from $1,020 to $2,434.
The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that more than $7 billion worth of military equipment, including aircraft, armored vehicles, and weapons, was left behind in Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal in August 2021. Since taking office in January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the retrieval of this equipment, a call that has been welcomed by Islamabad.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks in recent years, ranking as the world’s second most terrorism-affected country in the 2024 Global Terrorism Index report. The UN-designated terrorist group, TTP, which shares a similar ideology with the Afghan Taliban, has been responsible for the majority of these attacks. Islamabad claims that TTP leaders and fighters are based in Afghanistan, receiving training and advanced weaponry, an allegation that the Taliban has consistently denied.
