ISLAMABAD: A Chinese researcher who recently concluded a fact-finding mission to Kabul has warned that the Afghan Taliban continue to provide sanctuary to a slew of regional militant outfits, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
The findings, shared by veteran journalist Ayaz Gul, suggest that despite repeated diplomatic pressure from both Islamabad and Beijing, the interim Afghan government remains “simply not inclined” to move against these groups or entertain requests for the extradition of their leaders.
The researcher’s assessment paints a grim picture of the security landscape in the region, noting that the Taliban’s reluctance to act against these “guests” is creating a mounting trust deficit with its most critical neighbors.
According to the report, the presence of these three distinct groups on Afghan soil represents a complex security challenge for the region. While the TTP has been a primary source of friction between Kabul and Islamabad, the inclusion of the BLA and ETIM in the researcher’s findings highlights a broader failure of the Taliban to honor the 2020 Doha Agreement’s counter-terrorism guarantees.
“The Taliban are prioritizing ideological affinity and internal cohesion over their international obligations,” a regional security expert told *Dawn*. “By sheltering the ETIM, they irritate Beijing; by harboring the TTP and BLA, they remain at loggerheads with Pakistan. It is a precarious balancing act that may soon reach a breaking point.”
The Chinese researcher specifically highlighted that the Taliban leadership has shown zero appetite for extraditing ETIM members—a core demand for Beijing as it seeks to secure its restive Xinjiang province.
The report suggests that the Taliban view the surrender of fellow militants as a “theological and tribal betrayal,” a stance that has also hampered Pakistan’s efforts to bring TTP leaders to justice for attacks on its security forces and Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects.
The mention of the BLA—a separatist group designated as a terrorist organization by Pakistan—finding space in Afghanistan adds a new layer of concern for Islamabad, which has long accused “hostile actors” of using Afghan soil to destabilize Balochistan.
The researcher’s conclusions come at a time when Afghanistan is desperate for foreign investment to revive its moribund economy. While China has remained the most significant potential investor in Afghanistan’s mining and energy sectors, Beijing has consistently linked large-scale financial engagement to “absolute security.”
“If the Taliban continue to rebuff these security concerns, the ‘all-weather’ friendship they hope to build with China may never move beyond the rhetoric of diplomatic meetings,” noted a senior diplomat in Islamabad.
For now, the interim government in Kabul maintains that no foreign groups are allowed to operate from its territory. However, the ground reality, as documented by the Chinese researcher, suggests that the “Kabul sanctuary” remains open, leaving the region on a knife-edge.
