UN report on terrorism reiterates what Pak PM publicly 'confessed': Sources

A recent report by the UN Security Council mentioning about Pakistan-based terror groups sending thousands of terrorists to Afghanistan is a reiteration of what Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan publicly "confessed", official sources said on Friday.

The UN report said that around 6,500 Pakistani nationals were among foreign terrorists operating in Afghanistan and that Pakistan-based terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba are engaged in trafficking fighters into that country.

The sources said that the international community is well acquainted with the reality that Pakistan is the "nerve centre of terrorism".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan would do well to recall that their prime minister admitted last year that Pakistan still hosts 30,000 to 40,000 terrorists," said a source.

In a dramatic admission, Khan, during a visit to the US in July last year, said that about 30,000-40,000 "armed people", who have been trained and fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir, were in Pakistan.

The sources said Pakistan's attempts to create a "divide" in the traditional and friendly relations between the people of India and Afghanistan will not succeed.

After the report by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team was submitted to the UN Security Council, India said the findings vindicated its long-standing position that Pakistan remained the epicentre of international terrorism.

Pakistan on Thursday accused India of attempting to mislead the international community on the matter.

"The UN report has only reiterated what the Prime Minister of Pakistan has already confessed. Instead of casting aspersions on the Report, Pakistan should introspect and put an end to any kind of support for terrorism emanating from territories under its control," said a source.

"Pakistan houses one of the largest numbers of UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities. Its fallacious attempts to point fingers at others cannot deflect attention from the facts on the ground," the source said. PTI MPB ZMN