Addressing the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, Pakistani diplomat Syed Atif Raza raised alarm over the proliferation of left-behind military hardware and advanced weaponry in Afghanistan, warning that these stockpiles pose a direct and escalating security threat to neighboring states, including Pakistan.
Highlighting the growing operational capabilities of cross-border militant networks, the diplomat urged the international community to establish strict global and regional mechanisms to prevent armed terrorist groups from acquiring advanced military equipment, small arms, and light weapons.
Proliferation of Foreign Military Hardware
The warning addresses a persistent regional security challenge following the 2021 withdrawal of international forces, which left billions of dollars in foreign-supplied military gear inside Afghanistan:
- Militant Force Multiplication: Pakistani security officials observe that armed groups—particularly Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—have increasingly deployed modern military-grade hardware, including night-vision technology, thermal optics, tactical communications, and foreign assault rifles in attacks against border security forces.
- Illicit Arms Networks: Black-market arms trading along regional border corridors has allowed anti-state proxy groups and insurgent factions to upgrade their tactical arsenals, directly frustrating regional counter-terrorism operations.
- Risk of Broader Regional Instability: Islamabad emphasized that without coordinated international arms tracking, enforcement, and border interdiction efforts, the physical concentration of foreign weaponry inside Afghanistan will continue to destabilize Central and South Asia.
Demand for International Action and Accountability
Calling for targeted multilateral intervention, the Pakistani delegate urged UN member states to strengthen international export controls, enforce strict non-proliferation standards, and support regional border security initiatives aimed at choking off arms-smuggling pipelines.
The statement reinforces Pakistan’s broader diplomatic push at the United Nations, maintaining that permanent peace and economic stability across South Asia remain impossible while hostile militant networks operate with advanced hardware and strategic depth from Afghan territory.