New york: Pakistan has called for a renewed, comprehensive and forward-looking international response to terrorism, urging the UN Security Council to strengthen its counter-terrorism architecture and address gaps in existing sanctions regimes to meet evolving terrorist threats.

Speaking at the Security Council briefing on "Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Twenty-five years after 9/11: Renew the Security Council's Fight Against Terrorism," Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including seven Pakistanis, and expressed solidarity with the Government and people of the United States.

Recalling the global response to 9/11, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad noted that the attacks led to swift Security Council action, including the adoption of Resolution 1373, which remains a key component of the UN counter-terrorism framework. He highlighted Pakistan's frontline role in the global fight against terrorism, noting that its counter-terrorism efforts, intelligence cooperation and security coordination with international partners significantly degraded Al-Qaida's capabilities. "Most notable successes in the international campaign against Al-Qaida were achieved through Pakistan's counter terrorism efforts and active cooperation," he said.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad stressed that Pakistan had paid an enormous price in this fight, with over 90,000 Pakistanis, including security and law enforcement personnel and civilians, losing their lives to terrorist violence since the turn of the century, alongside sustained economic losses. He observed that while the Security Council had responded with "urgency, unity, and resolve" 25 years ago, the terrorist threat had since evolved. "The terrorism landscape has since evolved and mutated. New threats have emerged," he said, stressing that existing sanctions regimes needed to be strengthened to address gaps in the international counter-terrorism framework.

The Ambassador highlighted the rise of far-right extremism, the continuing terrorist threat in Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan, and the exploitation of modern technologies for terrorist propaganda, radicalization, recruitment, networking and financing. Expressing particular concern over terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, he stated that more than 4,700 Pakistanis had lost their lives to terrorism over the past three years, and called for effective international action against terrorist groups including the TTP, BLA, ETIM and ISIL.

He also warned against the growing use of the dark web, virtual assets and cryptocurrencies for terrorist financing, cautioning: "Absent regulation, this threat will definitely multiply."

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism, including balanced implementation of all four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and greater focus on addressing root causes and conditions conducive to terrorism. He further stressed that accountability must also apply in situations of foreign occupation, stating that occupying powers should be held accountable and not allowed to operate with impunity against peoples exercising their right to self-determination.

Concluding the statement, the Permanent Representative called for the international response to remain ahead of the rapidly evolving terrorist threat. "The international response to terrorism must be up to speed, in fact ahead of the rapidly evolving threat," he said. He urged the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility, ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, and strengthen international cooperation and regional synergies to build "a united, collective front to this global threat."