UN Flags Militant Nexus Threatening Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A new United Nations report has reinforced Pakistan’s long-held claim that Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for militant groups, warning that a growing nexus between religious extremists and ethno-nationalist outfits is deepening security risks for Pakistan and the wider region.
Released this month by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the report challenges repeated Taliban denials and concludes that Afghan territory continues to be used by more than 20 regional and international terrorist organisations to plan, support, and launch attacks beyond its borders. The findings raise serious doubts about Kabul’s ability and willingness to meet its counterterrorism commitments under the 2021 Doha Agreement.
While acknowledging that the Taliban now control major Afghan cities, the UN warns that their governance and security system remains weak, particularly in rural and border areas. Structural flaws, corruption, poor accountability, and internal divisions have limited the regime’s capacity to enforce law and order, creating space for militant networks to survive and adapt.
A dangerous militant ecosystem
The report identifies Islamic State–Khorasan (IS-K) as a major international threat operating from Afghanistan. Although Taliban operations have reduced IS-K attacks inside the country, the group remains resilient, with around 2,000 fighters using covert cells, encrypted platforms, cryptocurrencies, and emerging technologies to recruit, fund, and plan attacks. The UN credits Pakistan with weakening IS-K’s propaganda network, notably through the arrest of senior propagandist Sultan Aziz Azzam earlier this year.
More troubling for Islamabad is the assessment of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), described as the most immediate and destabilising threat to Pakistan. According to the report, the TTP continues to operate from Afghan soil and carried out over 600 attacks in Pakistan in 2025 alone, targeting security forces, state institutions, economic interests, and Chinese-linked projects.
The UN notes that the Taliban continue to shelter TTP leaders and provide them with logistical space, despite internal disagreements. With an estimated strength of 6,000 fighters, mainly based in eastern Afghanistan, the TTP benefits from ideological and historical ties that make decisive Taliban action against it unlikely.
Expanding alliances and shared sanctuaries
Beyond IS-K and TTP, the report highlights the presence of several other militant groups, including al Qaeda, the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement, Jamaat Ansarullah, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Many of these groups share training camps, resources, and operational space, particularly in eastern and southern Afghanistan.
UN findings and intelligence assessments point to shared facilities used by the TTP, al Qaeda, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) a development that signals a growing convergence between jihadist and ethno-nationalist militants. Kabul is described as a coordination hub, while provinces such as Kandahar, Helmand, Kunar, and Nangarhar continue to function as key safe havens.
In November, representatives of several militant groups reportedly held a secret meeting in northern Afghanistan to improve coordination. Although no Taliban officials were formally present, logistical support was allegedly provided by individuals linked to provincial authorities, further complicating Kabul’s claims of non-involvement.
Pakistan–Taliban tensions deepen
Pakistan’s frustration has grown amid a surge in cross-border attacks, leading to punitive strikes against TTP sanctuaries inside Afghanistan earlier this year. These actions triggered deadly border clashes and pushed diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Kabul to a new low.
Taliban officials have rejected Pakistan’s demands for guarantees against cross-border militancy, arguing that border security is Islamabad’s responsibility. Pakistan, however, insists that Afghan sanctuaries remain the core driver of violence.
The BLA TTP connection
Intelligence sources say senior BLA figures operate from Afghan cities such as Kandahar and Kabul, with additional training and transit routes running through southern Afghan provinces. Although the latest UN report does not dwell on this issue, earlier UN assessments confirmed coordination between BLA factions including its suicide unit and the TTP, with ideological and weapons training provided by al-Qaeda linked facilitators.
Analysts note that while clear evidence of a unified command structure is limited, the sophistication of recent attacks inside Pakistan suggests shared planning and support. This alignment has heightened risks for major projects, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), prompting repeated security concerns from Beijing.
Weapons, funding, and unresolved challenges
The report also draws attention to the steady flow of weapons and funds sustaining militant groups. Financing is believed to come from a mix of diaspora donations, smuggling, extortion, kidnappings, and external support. Militants have also benefited from advanced weapons left behind after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 equipment now forming the backbone of the Taliban’s security apparatus.
Despite conducting tens of thousands of intelligence-based operations and eliminating hundreds of militants this year, Pakistan continues to pay a heavy human cost, with both security personnel and civilians falling victim to violence, particularly in Balochistan.
A complex road ahead
Security experts warn that the merging of jihadist and ethno-nationalist militancy has expanded the battlefield, making counterterrorism more complex and costly. They argue that military action alone is not enough. Long-term stability, they say, requires a coordinated strategy that combines targeted security measures with political inclusion, economic development, regional diplomacy, and sustained pressure on Kabul to dismantle militant sanctuaries.
As the UN report makes clear, the threat cannot be ignored or explained away. Without decisive regional and international action, analysts warn, the militant triangle forming across borders risks further destabilising Pakistan and the region beyond.
