"Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad,Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,At the UNSC briefing on Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Twenty-five years after 9/11: Renew the Security Councils Fight Against Terrorism(11 September 2026)**********Thank you, Mr. President,I commend the French delegation for its skillful presidency of the Council this month and for your initiative to convene this important briefing. I would like to thank the briefers this afternoon.Today, on September 11, we gather in this chamber to express our solidarity with the Government and the people of the United States, in memory of the precious lives lost in the horrific and appalling terrorist attacks of 9/11, including in New York City.And earlier this month, Ambassador Mike Waltz took the Council members to the 9/11 Memorial. It served as a powerful reminder of the horrors that befell the city on that fateful day and as a solemn remembrance of the tragedy faced by innocent victims from around the world, including seven Pakistanis. We saw their pictures there and the bravery displayed by the first responders on that day.May the souls of those who perished on that tragic day rest in eternal peace. And we take this opportunity to remember all the victims of terrorism, all around the world.Mr. President,It has been 25 years since the 9/11 calamity shook the worlds conscience a tragedy that is a stark reminder of the devastating cost of human lives lost to despicable terrorist acts and the imperative of sustained and collective international action to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.And as it has been recalled by the briefers, the events of 9/11 led to swift action by this Council to develop the UNs counter terrorism architecture with the adoption of Resolution 1373, a normative framework that continues to shape the measures in place today for addressing the scourge of terrorism.And subsequent changes in the counter terrorism domain strengthened global cooperation and led to numerous advances in the CT landscape, including efforts to counter terrorism on ground.Pakistan itself played a key role as a frontline state in this global counter terrorism endeavor. Let me recall that most notable successes in the international campaign against Al-Qaida were achieved through Pakistans counter terrorism efforts and active cooperation. That included close coordination with our partners including intelligence sharing and security cooperation and that in fact, broke the back of Al-Qaida, significantly degrading its capabilities.But we must also remember that this came with immense sacrifice. We continue to confront the challenges in our region. Over 90,000 Pakistanis, including our brave security forces, law enforcement personnel, and innocent civilians, have lost their lives since the turn of this century, besides sustained economic damage as a direct result of terrorist violence.The Security Council acted with urgency, unity, and resolve, commensurate to the enormity of the challenge 25 years ago. The terrorism landscape has since evolved and mutated. New threats have emerged.The Councils current sanctions regimes are proving insufficient to combat terrorism in all its dimensions and forms, and manifestations, and the various groups that are there and I agree with the comments made by the Permanent Representative of Denmark in this regard. So those gaps must be addressed with equal effectiveness to eradicate the growing global counter terrorism threat.And I would like to emphasize the following in this regard:First, it should be a cause of concern for this Council and the wider UN membership to witness the alarming rise in far-right extremist movements world over, responsible for some of the most heinous terrorist attacks in recent years, targeting communities based on xenophobia, racism, and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief.Second, the terrorism threat in various geographical regions, such as Africa, which was described in detail by my colleague from Liberia, in the Middle East, and in our own neighborhood in Afghanistan, is deeply worrying. More than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan over the last three years. We have faced some of the most callous terrorist attacks carried out by savage entities like TTP, the BLA, and its Majeed Brigade, which continue to operate with impunity from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, with significant external support. Entities like the BLA are operating freely in the absence of restrictive measures and sanctions by this Council that would have contained their activities, despite earnest attempts to designate this terrorist group under the Councils sanctions regime. And other groups, including ETIM and ISIL, also need to be effectively countered.Third, we share concerns about the growing use of modern information and communication technologies for terrorist activities, such as propaganda, disinformation, hate speech, online radicalization, recruitment, and use of dark web for networking and terrorist financing, including transactions through use of virtual assets and crypto currencies. Absent regulation, this threat will definitely multiply.Fourth, it has become more than evident over the years that, in order to be effective, the international community must take a comprehensive approach to counter terrorism. Over emphasis on any one dimension while ignoring the rest would not help in achieving our common goal of combating and eradicating terrorism. It is therefore imperative to implement all four pillars of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in a balanced manner, focusing also on the root causes and elimination of conditions conducive to terrorism.And last but not least, when we talk about terrorism, we must not ignore the perpetration of state terrorism in situations of foreign occupation. The Council must ensure that the occupying powers are held to account and are not allowed to operate with impunity to suppress the legitimate struggles of people for exercising their right to self-determination.President,The international response to terrorism must be up to speed, in fact ahead of the rapidly evolving threat.As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we must reflect on the contemporary needs and challenges in the CT domain in order to address the gaps in the CT architecture, the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and sanctions regimes in a comprehensive manner.The Council must shoulder its due responsibility. The perpetrators of terrorism must be brought to justice. Eventually, if we are going to succeed in our common objective of counter terrorism, that would require active and effective international cooperation and regional synergies for a united, collective front to this global threat.I thank you.****"