Asif Mahmood

The recent move by the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee effectively validates Pakistan’s longstanding position. By advancing the “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act,” Washington has implicitly acknowledged that the security threats Pakistan has repeatedly highlighted in South Asia are not rhetorical exaggerations but grounded realities. This development sends a clear message to the international community that Pakistan’s concerns deserve serious attention and understanding.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, billions of dollars in international humanitarian and reconstruction assistance have continued to flow into Afghanistan. Yet multiple oversight bodies have raised serious questions about transparency and accountability. The December 2025 report of the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction documented persistent irregularities, fraud, and misuse within US funded programs. Over the years, watchdog assessments have estimated that tens of billions of dollars allocated for Afghanistan’s reconstruction were lost to corruption and mismanagement. Afghanistan’s ranking near the bottom of the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index further underscores the depth of governance challenges.

The core objective of the new US legislation is to ensure that American taxpayer funds do not directly or indirectly benefit terrorist organizations. It emphasizes enforceable monitoring mechanisms, financial accountability, and counterterrorism safeguards. This is not simply a matter of protecting US public funds. It is a strategic imperative tied to regional and global security.

For years, Pakistan has consistently raised at the United Nations Security Council and other international forums the issue of terrorist sanctuaries operating from Afghan soil. Reports indicate that thousands of Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan fighters are based inside Afghanistan. The UN Security Council Monitoring Team’s latest report highlighted the continuing presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and noted an increase in attacks inside Pakistan launched from across the border, resulting in heightened tensions and security exchanges.

For Pakistan, this is not an abstract policy debate. It is a question of national survival and regional stability. Pakistan has paid a heavy price in blood and economic losses in its fight against terrorism. If international financial flows are diverted, taxed, or exploited in ways that strengthen hostile militant networks, the consequences are borne first and foremost by neighboring states, particularly Pakistan.

At the same time, humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people must continue. Afghanistan faces a severe economic and social crisis, and ordinary citizens should not be punished for the actions of armed groups. However, aid must be delivered through transparent, verifiable, and accountable mechanisms that prevent diversion and ensure that assistance reaches communities at the grassroots level rather than empowering militant structures.

Engagement with the Taliban authorities should be conditioned on clear and measurable benchmarks. These should include demonstrable action against all terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, an end to cross border militancy, inclusive governance representing all ethnic groups, respect for fundamental human rights, and the reversal of discriminatory policies against women and girls. Without visible and verifiable progress, financial inflows risk entrenching instability rather than fostering peace.

The Senate’s initiative reflects a growing international recognition that financial oversight and counterterrorism are inseparable in the Afghan context. Pakistan’s warnings were neither alarmist nor politically motivated. They were rooted in lived experience and hard security realities. The world must now align its policies with those realities.

A peaceful and stable Afghanistan remains in Pakistan’s fundamental interest. But stability cannot be achieved by ignoring terrorist safe havens or by allowing opaque financial channels to fuel extremism. The international community must adopt responsible frameworks that ensure aid strengthens institutions, not insurgencies. In doing so, it would not only protect its own interests but also contribute to lasting security in South Asia.