Pakistan's representative at a United Nations human rights discussion accused Afghanistan's Taliban authorities of allowing armed groups to operate from Afghan territory, while a UN human rights expert separately urged member states to seek verifiable improvements in rights before normalising relations with Kabul. The comments were reported by Dawn on October 31, 2026.
What did Pakistan allege?
Muhammad Jawad Ajmal, speaking for Pakistan, alleged that terrorist organisations continued to operate from Afghanistan and that attacks linked to Afghan territory had caused significant deaths in Pakistan. The claims reflect Pakistan's stated position in the forum; the cited report does not independently verify the attribution of every attack or provide a full response from the Taliban authorities.
Ajmal also criticised restrictions affecting women and girls, referring to international obligations and Muslim-majority countries' objections to those restrictions. His remarks joined security concerns with a call for greater rights accountability.
What did the UN expert say?
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett told a separate UN forum that the Taliban had not reversed systematic rights violations since returning to power in 2021. He described ongoing restrictions affecting women and girls and raised concerns about arbitrary detention, torture and treatment of minorities and persons with disabilities.
Bennett urged countries not to normalise relations absent verifiable changes. His recommendation is the expert's position, not a binding UN-wide diplomatic decision.
Were the two statements the same finding?
No. Pakistan's allegations about cross-border militancy and Bennett's findings on human rights arose in different parts of the UN discussions. They should not be merged into a single UN determination about responsibility for particular attacks.
What remains to be established?
The cited account did not provide a detailed response from Taliban authorities to these specific comments. Further reporting should seek responses from all relevant parties and distinguish government accusations, documented human-rights findings and independently verified incidents.