Pakistan facilitating terror groups, claims Afghan envoy to the UN

Terror groups are using safe bases in northern and north-eastern provinces as a platform for undermining and toppling Central Asian secular governments.

Stating that Pakistan based terror groups such as LeT, the Taliban, JeM and al-Qaeda are creating sanctuaries and safe havens in tribal areas between Kabul and Islamabad, Afghan envoy to the UN said such groups are threatening India and Afghanistan's security.

Mahmoud Saikal, permanent Afghan representative while speaking at an open briefing of the Counter- Terrorism Committee on foreign terrorists on Friday, asserted that the aforementioned groups are using safe bases in northern and north-eastern provinces as a platform for "undermining and toppling" Central Asian "secular" governments.

"(Their core aim is the) revival of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, targeting India's interests and goals in Afghanistan and forming strategic alliances with international terrorist networks in the region and world," Press Trust of India quoted Saikal as saying.

Saikal's comments are consistent with Afghanistan's claims that accuse Pakistan of shielding and even sponsoring terrorist activities. Last month, Saikal had accused "elements within the state structure of Pakistan" of facilitating terrorist activities, while adding that the country needs political will and not "nuclear deals or F-16s" to take action against terrorists.

The controversial claim reasoned that the killing of notorious terrorist leaders, including Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Mansour in "safe havens" in Pakistan, proves that Pakistan violated sovereignty of the other nations.

"In Afghanistan, regional terrorist groups have cooperated with the Taliban based on their common goals and mutual interests. These groups include Lashkar-e-Taiba, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Islam, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Eastern Turkistan Islamic movement. These groups pose a strategic threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan," Saikal said, adding that some of these groups are collaborating and aiding Taliban in eastern and south-eastern provinces of Afghanistan.

Saikal said that the problem is compounded by the fact that terrorist groups are creating "sanctuaries and safe havens" along the 2,430-kilometre long Afghani-Pak border known as the Durand Line. Among the 6,100 foreign fighters in Afghanistan, Saikal says about 1,800-2,000 have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.