Why Global Peace Demands an End to Selective Empathy?

The international community frequently invokes universal principles: respect for sovereignty, protection of civilians and opposition to terrorism. These principles are fundamental to any credible international order, and Pakistan has consistently supported them. Civilian suffering in Ukraine deserves attention, just as the suffering of civilians in any conflict deserves sympathy. Human life has no nationality, and the value of a civilian life cannot depend on geography.

Yet the credibility of these principles is ultimately measured by how consistently they are applied.

For Pakistan, this is not an abstract question. For years, the country has confronted terrorism emanating from terrorist networks operating from Afghan territory. Pakistani civilians, soldiers and law-enforcement personnel have paid a heavy price while the state has continued to pursue regional peace, diplomatic engagement and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in the Global Terrorism Index 2026, which ranked Pakistan as the country most affected by terrorism in 2025, recording 1,139 terrorism-related deaths and 1,045 incidents. The report attributed 56 percent of terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan that year to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

These figures demonstrate why Pakistan’s security concerns cannot be reduced to a narrow bilateral dispute. Pakistan is confronting a serious transnational terrorism challenge, and its response must be understood within the broader responsibility of states to protect their citizens and territory.

Pakistan does not ask the international community to choose between victims. It asks for the opposite: apply the same standard to every victim.

The question, therefore, is no longer whether the international community recognises the existence of terrorist networks in Afghanistan. The more important question is whether that recognition will produce meaningful collective action.

Pakistan’s position has remained clear and consistent: Afghan territory must not be permitted to serve as a base for terrorism against neighbouring states. This is not an unreasonable demand. It is a basic principle of sovereign responsibility and regional security.

The issue was also addressed during the 12th Pakistan-Russia Joint Working Group on Countering International Terrorism, held in Islamabad in June 2026. Pakistan and Russia discussed terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, its implications for neighbouring states and the need for enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation through multilateral institutions, including the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

This existing understanding provides a foundation for stronger regional diplomacy.

For Moscow, the matter carries an obvious strategic dimension. Russia has long-standing security interests in Central Asia and has repeatedly identified terrorism and extremism emanating from Afghanistan as regional concerns. Preventing militant organisations from establishing durable infrastructure is therefore consistent with Russia’s own broader security interests. But regional security cannot be approached through selective calculations.

Islamabad has continued diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan too while raising concerns about terrorism. Pakistan’s objective is not instability in Afghanistan. On the contrary, Pakistan has a direct interest in a peaceful, stable and economically connected Afghanistan. But sustainable Afghan stability cannot be built by allowing terrorism to impose costs on neighbouring countries. A stable Afghanistan must also be a responsible neighbour.

This principle should guide Russia, China and other regional powers. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation already provides an institutional platform through which regional states can pursue collective counter-terrorism measures. In April 2026, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure expressed concern over terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and underscored the need for enhanced cooperation against the threat. Pakistan, which chaired SCO-RATS during this period, has consistently supported collective action against terrorism.

In September, SCO-RATS again brought together Pakistan, Russia, China, Iran, India, Central Asian states and Belarus in Islamabad to strengthen cooperation against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The institutional mechanisms are therefore already available. What is required is political resolve and consistent implementation.

UN records have repeatedly documented Pakistan’s concerns regarding TTP safe havens and terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. A March 2026 UN Security Council record noted that more than 175 Pakistani lives had been lost in terrorism-related incidents in a single month. Those lives matter.

A Pakistani civilian killed in a terrorist attack does not become less deserving of sympathy because the attack occurred in South Asia rather than Europe. A Pakistani soldier defending his country does not become less worthy of recognition because his battlefield is different from those dominating international headlines.

This is not an argument for ignoring civilian suffering in Ukraine, Afghanistan or elsewhere. It is precisely the opposite. Genuine universality requires concern for all victims.

Pakistan’s position should therefore be understood as a principled call for consistency, not preferential treatment.

If the international community rightly expects states to respect sovereignty and protect civilian populations, those expectations must apply equally to Pakistan. If states are expected to prevent their territories from becoming launchpads for violence against neighbours, that obligation must also be applied consistently. The objective should not be escalation. It should be regional stability through shared responsibility.

If global security is truly indivisible, then the response to terrorism must be indivisible too, across Europe, South Asia and Central Asia, against every terrorist network and in defence of every civilian life.