Regional Instability: The Taliban and the Abandoned Weapons

Express Tribune

16-04-2025

Since the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 2021, the Afghan Taliban's patronage and facilitation of terrorist groups have turned Afghanistan into a hub for militant activity. Over the past three years, the Taliban's rule has largely focused on exporting terrorism and fueling conspiracies, with their increasing alignment with Pakistan's adversaries further escalating regional violence and instability.
Taking full advantage of the Taliban's support, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and BLA have significantly strengthened their presence, posing a major challenge to regional peace and security.
Despite multiple failed peace negotiations over the past three years, Pakistan remains committed to addressing this threat. In a diplomatic engagement, Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq, visited Kabul to once again express serious concerns about the continued presence of anti-Pakistan terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.
Pakistan has remained steadfast in its counterterrorism efforts over the past two decades, playing a critical role in the global War on Terror while striving for regional peace and stability. However, the worsening security situation is largely due to the unchecked movement of terrorist organizations such as the TTP and BLA, which exploit Afghanistan as a launchpad for cross-border attacks. Paktia province, which borders Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has become a major stronghold for these groups. A recent example of this was the attack on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, where terrorists maintained real-time communication with handlers in Afghanistan throughout the operation.
Being a landlocked country, Afghanistan heavily relies on trade and transit through Pakistan for economic survival. However, frequent border closures and clashes have further weakened its economy. A primary roadblock to stable bilateral relations remains Kabul's inaction against anti-Pakistan militant groups, particularly the TTP and BLA. Given these challenges, continued diplomatic dialogue is essential for resolving outstanding security concerns and improving relations between the two nations.
Keeping in view the past experience, a dual strategy of both kinetic and non-kinetic actions seems more successful, as mere dependence on kinetic actions will not completely dismantle terrorism.
In the non-kinetic domain, the following measures are recommended:
(a) Disrupting the financial line of the TTP by cutting off funding sources such as illicit trade, drug trafficking, weapon smuggling, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion.
(b) Socioeconomic development of tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, as the TTP capitalizes on ethnic and economic discontent to expand its influence.
(c) Countering and defeating the narrative used by the TTP to recruit and radicalize individuals.
(d) Strict border management to control illegal movement.
In addition to the above, Islamabad should continue diplomatic efforts to pressure Kabul into taking decisive action against anti-Pakistan militants operating from their soil. In this context, regional countries like China and Russia can play a major role. Last but not least, the IAG must understand that regional security and stability hinge on their practical demonstration of action against terrorists operating from their soil, irrespective of ideological alignment or any other political need.
It goes without saying that U.S. military leftover weapons in Afghanistan have added to the list of challenges being faced by the region in general and Pakistan in particular.
A detailed report by The Washington Post on April 13, 2025, validated Pakistan's concerns on the TTP and BLA exploiting abandoned U.S. military equipment to launch sophisticated attacks. This situation reflects the Afghan government's failure to secure the U.S. Army's abandoned weapons.
Pakistan sees the U.S. arms left behind in Afghanistan not just as a security oversight but as a continuing source of regional instability and terrorism.
It is high time for global action and UN sanctions against illicit arms fueling Afghan-based terrorism using U.S.-abandoned weapons.