Tehran- IRAF- Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, wrote in a post on the social media platform X following the adoption of a new UN Security Council resolution extending the mandate of the Taliban sanctions monitoring team for another year. He said the decision sends a “clear and firm” message from the international community to the Taliban.
He emphasized that Afghanistan must not become a platform for threats or attacks against any country and that the Taliban must now determine the country’s future course.
Ahmad added, “The Taliban’s choice will determine whether Afghanistan sinks into political and economic isolation or moves toward peace and prosperity.”
He also expressed hope that the UN Security Council’s monitoring team would carry out its duties with greater rigor and provide accurate and comprehensive reports to enable the international community to better track developments in Afghanistan.
Last week, the UN Security Council unanimously extended the team’s mandate for one more year. The resolution, drafted by the United States, was adopted with the support of all 15 Council members.
The sanctions committee was established under Resolution 1988 in 2011 and is tasked with overseeing restrictive measures against individuals and entities associated with the Taliban, including asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes.
The Taliban, however, described the decision as ineffective and unsuccessful.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, called the extension of sanctions and monitoring mechanisms a “repeated and failed experience,” claiming that such pressure would not help resolve Afghanistan’s problems.
He urged Western countries to reconsider their policies and shift from pressure to engagement.
Several countries, including China, Russia, and Pakistan, welcomed the extension of the monitoring team’s mandate and stressed the need for serious efforts to combat terrorism.
These positions indicate that the international community remains united on the necessity of monitoring Taliban activities and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for security threats.
