US Weapons Seized in Pakistan Raise Alarm Over Taliban Influence and Regional Stability
By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line
On Monday, Pakistan’s customs authorities intercepted a significant cache of U.S.-made weapons and ammunition valued at approximately $126,354 at the Torkham border. According to sources, the seized weapons were hidden in a container transporting a load of vegetables into Pakistan.
According to sources, the seized weapons were concealed in a container transporting a load of vegetables to Pakistan. A customs intelligence official told The Media Line, “The confiscated arsenal includes M4 high assault rifles, magazines, pistols, night vision instruments, and other modern weapons including thousands of rounds.”
In this regard, the driver and helper have been arrested and taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation. They are anticipated to provide crucial information regarding the source and destination of the seized weapons.
The seizure of a significant quantity of arms just one day before the SCO conference in Islamabad is being described as a major counter-terrorism operation. The security officials believe that these American weapons were intended for supply to various groups, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Previously, American weapons have also been recovered from terrorists who were killed during security forces’ actions against the TTP. Pakistan’s security officials and political leaders have long asserted that leftover US-made weapons and ammunition are being utilized in attacks within the country.
This smuggling of leftover US weapons from Afghanistan into Pakistan highlights the Afghan Taliban’s challenges with weak governance, as Kabul-sponsored arms trafficking poses a severe threat to the region’s stability.
Shortly after the US-led forces hastily withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, reports emerged indicating that the coalition had abandoned billions of dollars in advanced weapons, which ended up with the Taliban and other armed factions.
In August 2022, a year after the withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan, the US Department of Defense disclosed that “coalition forces had supplied $7.2 billion worth of weaponry and military equipment to Afghan government agencies. The Taliban now holds control over the future of these items.”
The cross-border trafficking and use of US-made arms against security forces and law enforcement in Pakistan directly contradict the claims made by the Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan, which asserts that Afghan territory is not being used against Pakistan.
The presence of the TTP in Afghanistan, combined with their access to these weapons, suggests that they are operating freely and without consequences, posing a direct threat to the stability and security of neighboring countries, especially Pakistan.
The organization has waged a 16-year uprising in response to the Pakistani government’s operations against al-Qaeda and armed insurgents from Afghanistan. The frequency of terror attacks in Pakistan has been gradually increasing since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Most of the recent attacks have been claimed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is believed to be an ideological offshoot and ally of the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistani officials have repeatedly warned Afghanistan that Pakistan will take action to target terrorist hideouts within its borders if Afghanistan does not address the issue itself. The recent seizure has raised concerns about potential Taliban support for the TTP, possibly as a tactic to exert pressure on Pakistan or to assert their influence in the region.
Afghanistan’s instability has significant implications for global security. The presence of terrorist groups and Kabul’s continued denial of these realities could contribute to a resurgence of global terrorism and undermine regional peace.
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