Pakistan decries stigmatisation of Islam, says no non-Muslim name on UN terror lists

At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on global terrorism, Pakistan strongly condemned the “dangerous stigmatisation of Islam and Muslims,” while calling attention to the growing threat of right-wing extremism worldwide.

Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar noted that “it is not understandable, and is indeed unacceptable, that every name on the Security Council’s terrorism lists is Muslim, while terrorists and violent extremists elsewhere escape scrutiny. There is no non-Muslim in the lists.”

He urged the Council to reform sanctions regimes to address emerging threats and end the “stigmatisation of Islam and Muslims.” The envoy stressed that despite the rise of extremist and fascist groups in many countries, “we see a strong inclination to see acts by non-Muslims not as terrorism, but often described just as violent crime.”

Highlighting regional concerns, Iftikhar accused India of funding and supporting terrorist proxies in Pakistan. He further warned that “terrorism within and from Afghanistan is the single most potent threat to that country, to the region, and the world.” He cited the presence of nearly 6,000 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters operating from Afghan territory, posing a “grave and immediate” threat to Pakistan’s security.

The ambassador also pointed to “credible evidence of collaboration between the TTP and BLA and the Majeed Brigade,” targeting Pakistan’s infrastructure, economic projects, and citizens.

Reaffirming Islamabad’s resolve, he emphasized that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms, reminding the UNSC of the country’s sacrifices: “With 80,000 casualties and hundreds of billions of dollars in losses to our economy, Pakistan’s sacrifices are unmatched. So is our resolve to eliminate this menace.”