Pakistan has strongly criticized what it calls “double standards” in the global fight against terrorism, questioning why the UN Security Council’s terrorism list features only Muslim groups while non-Muslim extremist organizations escape scrutiny.
Speaking at a Security Council debate on threats to international peace and security, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar, said the imbalance is “absolutely unacceptable” and damages the credibility of counter-terrorism efforts.
“It is beyond comprehension that not a single non-Muslim terrorist is on the Council’s list. Double standards and political agendas act as oxygen for terrorism,” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted how terrorism is changing in the digital age, with extremist groups using online platforms to radicalize youth and collect funds. He warned of growing links between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and Majeed Brigade, claiming they are working together to attack Pakistan’s infrastructure, civilians, and strategic projects.
According to Iftikhar, the TTP remains the largest listed terrorist group, operating from Afghan soil, while ISIS-K, with about 2,000 fighters in Afghanistan, poses the biggest global threat as an offshoot of ISIS.
Turning to regional tensions, the Pakistani envoy accused India of financing terrorist groups, sponsoring cross-border terrorism, and carrying out targeted killings abroad. He condemned India’s May 2025 strikes that killed 54 Pakistani civilians, calling it state terrorism under the cover of counter-terrorism.
“State terrorism cannot be allowed to wear the cloak of counter-terrorism; its first victim is global peace,” he told the Council.
He called for a balanced and fair global approach, urging the UN to adopt a law-based strategy that tackles the root causes of terrorism, distinguishes between legitimate struggles against foreign occupation and terrorism, and addresses Islamophobia, human rights violations, and demographic changes in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Palestine.
Iftikhar concluded that only a just and united response from the global community can defeat terrorism in all its forms.
