The United Nations report has said that about 6,500 Pakistani fighters are present in Afghanistan with Pakistan based terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba having around 1000 armed fighters.
India on Tuesday said the United Nations report saying that about 6,500 Pakistani fighters are present in Afghanistan "vindicates" its long-standing position that Pakistan is an "epicentre of international terrorism."
The United Nations report has said that about 6,500 Pakistani fighters are present in Afghanistan with Pakistan based terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba having around 1000 armed fighters in the landlocked South Asian country. Most of the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba fighters are co-located with Taliban fighters and are hand in glove with them.
Reacting to the report submitted by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the Ministry of External Affairs said, "We note with serious concern reference in the Report to the continued presence of the senior leadership of the UN-designated terrorist organisation Al Qaida and its affiliates in Afghanistan; as well as a large number of foreign terrorist fighters, including up to 6500 Pakistan nationals, operating in Afghanistan. Besides, UN-designated entities like Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-i-Mohammed, operating from Pakistan controlled territories facilitating trafficking and imparting training to other terrorists in Afghanistan."
"This vindicates India’s long-standing position that Pakistan remains the epicentre of international terrorism. That proscribed terrorist entities and individuals continue to enjoy safe havens and recruit, train, arm, finance and operate with impunity from Pakistan with state support. They inflict violence and spread terrorism in the region and other parts of the world," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
"Pakistan has failed in fulfilling its international obligations, including under relevant UNSC resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force, to put an end to support to terrorism emanating from territories under its control. The international community should hold Pakistan accountable and seek sustained, verifiable and irreversible action by Pakistan against terrorism," he said.
India will continue to contribute and support all efforts towards securing peace, security and stability in Afghanistan, the spokesperson added.
The UN monitoring team in its annual report to United Nations Security Council has said, "The number of foreign terrorist fighters in search of a purpose and livelihood in Afghanistan, including up to 6,500 Pakistanis, will render this a complex challenge, which will require careful monitoring."
Quoting Afghan officials, the report said, "Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba...(are) among those groups posing a security threat."
The report explained, "According to Afghan interlocutors, Jaish-i-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba facilitate the trafficking of terrorist fighters into Afghanistan, who act as advisers, trainers and specialists in improvised explosive devices" and "both groups are responsible for carrying out targeted assassinations against government officials and others."
Location of LeT and JeM according to UN report is Mohmand Darah, Dur Baba and Sherzad districts of Nangarhar Province. In Kunar Province, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba retains a further 220 fighters and Jaish-i-Mohammed has a further 30, all of whom are dispersed within Taliban forces.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has also its presence in the country, with one member state in the UN report saying that "the total number of Pakistani nationals fighting with terrorist groups in Afghanistan may be as high as 6,000 to 6,500."
Highlighting the narcotic smuggling networks, the report said, according to member state, "networks operate in Nangarhar (eastern province bordering Pakistan) and into Pakistan" and with "acquiescence of security officials who regulate and profit from smuggling of heroin, hashish". The revenues are "ultimately shared between security officials, heads of the smuggling syndicates (known as Tanzeems) and Taliban" and this is a "big source of revenue for the Taliban", the report elaborated.
District smugglers pay tax to Taliban district commander of Rs 200 Pakistani Rs ($1.30) per kilogram of heroin and smugglers are provided documentation by each Taliban commander certifying payment of tax before proceeding to next district.
The UN monitoring team was informed about illicit extraction of gold, copper, aragonite, tin by Taliban in districts not under Afghan govt control and interestingly mining companies in Balochistan province of Pakistan are involved in excavating the precious minerals. The minerals are refined in Karachi and sold as products in Pakistan.
The report highlighted the links between the Taliban and Al Qaeda as well. The report said, "Relations between the Taliban, especially the Haqqani Network and Al-Qaida remain close, based on friendship, a history of shared struggle, ideological sympathy and intermarriage."
Reacting to the report, US special envoy on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said that the February 29 US-Taliban agreement "stipulates that there will be no hosting of al-Qaida or any other terrorist group that could threaten the security of the United States and our allies."
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