According to a statement from Pakistan’s mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, who serves as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, addressed a UN Security Council session focused on small arms. In his speech, he voiced Pakistan’s deep concern over the large quantities of advanced weapons and ammunition still present in Afghanistan. He mentioned that the UN Secretary General’s reports had already pointed out that illegal arms markets and cross-border smuggling networks had developed in Afghanistan, creating greater risks to peace and stability across the region.
The ambassador revealed that Pakistan had obtained credible evidence of attempts to move these weapons into neighbouring countries for use in terrorist attacks. He said that many weapons seized along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border could be traced back to stockpiles left behind by foreign military forces after their withdrawal, as well as those sold illegally in Afghan markets. Ambassador Iftikhar warned that the spread of unregistered weapons across borders was helping terrorist organizations and criminal gangs operate more freely, posing a serious threat to regional safety and stability.
He emphasized that Pakistan was especially alarmed by the way terrorist groups in Afghanistan were acquiring and using these powerful and modern weapons. He identified groups such as ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade as those using such arms to target innocent civilians and security personnel in Pakistan, leading to many deaths. The envoy called for stronger international measures to stop terrorist groups from obtaining illegal weapons and urged the Afghan interim authorities to honour their international responsibilities to prevent arms smuggling.
Ambassador Iftikhar noted that small arms and light weapons had become the preferred tools for non-state groups to carry out violent acts. He explained that the unchecked trade of illegal weapons not only threatened Pakistan’s security but also made counterterrorism efforts and civilian protection far more difficult. He added that the circulation of illicit arms also slowed down economic development, fuelled human rights abuses, and put peace and stability at further risk.
He went on to say that Pakistan believed the issue of illegal small arms needed a balanced and complete global approach. He highlighted the importance of the United Nations’ “Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons,” which aims to balance nations’ defence needs with efforts to stop illegal arms trading. Ambassador Iftikhar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to implementing this program domestically and urged all countries to fully enforce it to strengthen international and regional peace.
When U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, they destroyed several aircraft and armoured vehicles but left behind a large number of weapons and military equipment. These arms were later taken by the Afghan Taliban and eventually reached terrorist organizations such as the TTP. Pakistan has repeatedly raised concerns about these weapons being used in cross-border terrorism and has called on the UN to launch a campaign to recover them. Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that the presence of U.S.-made advanced weapons in Afghanistan had become a major threat to Pakistan’s national security. A Washington Post investigation also confirmed that militants who attacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan used an American M4A1 rifle left behind during the U.S. withdrawal, proving that such weapons had fallen into terrorist hands.
