The UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team's report emphasizes the increasing collaboration between terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and TTP (now identified as FaK), which threatens regional stability and Pakistan’s security, underscoring the urgent need for a multilateral, regional strategy to effectively combat terrorism in South Asia.

In July this year, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team released its thirty-fourth report, which was submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in accordance with Resolution 2734. The report outlines various aspects of the terrorism challenges facing Pakistan and their enduring impacts on regional peace.
The report raises several concerns regarding the rise of terrorism and militant activities spanning from Central Asia to South Asia. It highlights a recent nexus between terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), now recognized as Fitna-al-Khawarij (FaK), which aim to disrupt regional peace and destabilize Pakistan in particular.
According to the report, Afghanistan serves as a hub for this growing terrorism, acting as a base for various militant groups to coordinate and execute their activities. Terrorist organizations like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISKP), FaK, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) are playing a disturbing role in shaping the current security dynamics in Central and South Asia.
Recent attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and other peripheral areas of Pakistan offer insight into the terrorists' horrendous objectives and their ability to pose global threats if not addressed through a collaborative approach. This new wave of terrorist attacks has exacerbated mass violence across the board.
It is crucial to understand the complex relationship between FaK and AQIS, which are essentially the main drivers of recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan. Al-Qaeda seeks to collaborate with various militant organizations to disrupt regional peace. Meanwhile, FaK has strengthened militarily after the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan. Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) is closely linked to FaK and other terrorist organizations, as they all share the same radical fundamentalist ideology.
According to the UN report, weapons left behind by U.S. and NATO forces after their withdrawal from Afghanistan are now being used by FaK. This monumental shift in regional power structures is a primary reason for the drastic rise in terrorist attacks across the country.
In the past, Pakistan introduced the National Action Plan (NAP) to counter rising extremism and militancy following the horrific attack on Army Public School (APS) in 2014. The 20-point plan called for a collaborative approach to terrorism on all fronts and demanded a nationwide policy to address the issue. Two key points that eventually shaped the situation are particularly instructive.
First, the state of Pakistan, along with political leaders from across the spectrum, initiated a de-radicalization project aimed at systematically reducing extremism by spreading awareness of the true teachings of Islam and implementing key reforms. The Department of Education and other relevant institutions played a critical role in educating school and college students about the dangers of terrorism.
After uniting the nation under a common objective, the Pakistan Army launched a full-scale operation against the remaining radical elements in KP and Balochistan, successfully eliminating many of these terrorist groups. The Pakistan Army has demonstrated remarkable capability in countering the multifaceted challenge of terrorism.
Pakistan has always advocated for global peace and prosperity. Throughout its history, the state has been a voice for regional harmony and has consistently countered radical elements in the region to the best of its ability. Pakistan has collaborated persistently with its allies over the decades, sharing intelligence and working to systematically eradicate extremism.
The report essentially calls for a multilateral approach to dealing with terrorist groups. All major stakeholders in the region must work together to achieve lasting peace. This serves as a reality check for those who see FaK or other terrorist militias as solely Pakistan's problem. Multiple strategies can be adopted to target extremist organizations and eliminate their existence. A collective agreement and consensus are essential for resolution. Countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, and other Central Asian nations need to act jointly to combat the growing threat of extremism and militancy.
A regional approach plays a pivotal role in tackling terrorism in South Asia, particularly in Afghanistan, due to the interconnected nature of security challenges in the region. South Asian countries share porous borders, ethnic ties, and historical grievances, which terrorist organizations exploit to their advantage. A coordinated regional strategy enables better intelligence sharing, border management, and collective action against terrorist networks operating across national boundaries. In Afghanistan, where the security situation remains volatile, a unified regional effort involving neighboring countries like Pakistan, India, Iran, and Central Asian states is crucial.
Such collaboration can help address the root causes of terrorism, cut off funding and support networks, and stabilize the region by promoting peace and development. A regional approach ensures that the burden of combating terrorism is shared, reducing the likelihood of any one nation being overwhelmed by the threat.

The author is a U.S.-based scholar specializing in language and diplomacy.
E-mail: [email protected]