Pakistan has called for an international crash on the illegal stream of weapons to terrorist organizations warning that groups such as Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (eg) use advanced weapons, abandoned in Afghanistan, to carry out cross-border attacks.
SYED ATIF RAZA, adviser at Pakistan’s regular mission for the UN, said these terrorist units utilized ungulical spaces in Afghanistan to launch, targeted both civilians and security force in Pakistani spoken on a UN sanction, and spoke at a UN meeting in the UN Security Council,
“Terrorist armed groups are in possession of billions worth of illegal weapons abandoned in Afghanistan,” Raza told the informal hearing hosted by Sierra Leone. “We urge our international partners to recover the large stock of abandoned weapons, prevent their access to armed terrorist groups and take measures to close this thriving black market with illegal weapons.”
The diplomat emphasized that groups such as TTP, Bla and its suicide wing, Majeed Brigade, had not only gained access to sophisticated weapons, but also received external support and financing. Although Raza does not mention any country, Raza referred to Pakistan’s “main opponent” – a clear reference to India.
“These terror units also receive external support and funding from our most important opponent,” he said.
He added that abuse and illegal trade in handguns and light weapons contributed to regional instability, inhibited the development and undermined peace -building efforts.
Raza also warned that non-governmental actors lack the industrial capacity to produce advanced weapons, raising serious questions about the role of certain state actors to enable such groups.
“We know that non-governmental actors do not have many of the capabilities to produce advanced illegal weapons, thus raising questions about guilty of certain state actors in these dishonest activities,” he said.
He called on the UN to improve the mechanisms of weapon recovery, improve surveillance under sanctions regimes, and increase responsibility for countries involved in human trafficking or facilitate such weapons.
The Arria formula, named after former Venezuelan ambassador Diego Arria, gives the Security Council members an informal platform to hear from non-state actors or other stakeholders to push the global question.
