NEW YORK: Pakistan has voted in favor of extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by three months, emphasizing the need for continued international efforts to address security challenges in the region.

According to Radio Pakistan, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that Pakistan supports UNAMA’s role in promoting peace, security, and stability in Afghanistan. He highlighted the multiple challenges facing the country, including terrorism, human rights concerns, narcotics trafficking, and the reduction of humanitarian aid.

Ambassador Jadoon pointed out that elements within the Taliban regime are allegedly collaborating with various terrorist groups, such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Majeed Brigade, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-K), Al Qaeda, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). These groups are said to be operating without restriction inside Afghanistan and are accused of conducting cross-border attacks against Pakistani civilians and law enforcement, targeting critical infrastructure and public spaces.

The resolution passed by the Council expresses significant concern about the presence of these terrorist groups in Afghanistan, which continue to pose a threat to international peace and security. It calls on the Taliban to take “active, immediate, demonstrable, and concrete measures” to combat terrorism in all its forms. Ambassador Jadoon expressed hope that UNAMA will objectively report on the security developments in Afghanistan, considering the security concerns and expectations of the country’s immediate neighbors, who are facing serious threats from Afghan territory.