Pakistan Calls on UN to Hold Cross-Border Terrorism Supporters Accountable

Pakistan called on the United Nations on Thursday to take more effective measures to combat cross-border terrorism and to hold accountable those who finance and arm militant groups. It warned against using counterterrorism as a pretext for carrying out assassinations beyond borders or violating state sovereignty. Mohammad Jawad Ajmal, an adviser at Pakistan's mission to the UN, stated that the country has lost over 4,700 people to terrorism in the past three years, emphasizing the need to dismantle armed networks threatening the security of countries neighboring Afghanistan. Ajmal urged accountability for networks involved in smuggling weapons and drones to militant groups, including Pakistan Taliban and Balochistan Liberation Army, and called for tighter controls on cryptocurrencies to prevent terrorism financing. He also condemned Indian strikes on Pakistani territory in May 2025, which killed 54 civilians, including 15 children and 13 women, describing them as violations of Pakistan's sovereignty. Islamabad stressed the importance of distinguishing between terrorism and the legitimate rights of peoples under occupation to self-determination, calling for respect of international law and human rights in all counterterrorism efforts.