The U.S.-left-behind weaponry has created grave problems for Pakistan. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) claimed in a report that the U.S. lifted $ 7 billion of military equipment, which was due to an abrupt and uncoordinated withdrawal. The advanced army gear has provided patronage to hostile groups operating in Pakistan and has deteriorated counter-terrorism efforts.
The concise facts are revealed after the Jaffar train incident. On March 11, 2025, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked a train carrying 440 passengers in Balochistan. However, due to rapid actions by the Special Forces, all 33 terrorists were killed, and the alleged plan of the BLA became unsuccessful, but the incident raised several questions; in post-investigation, Pakistan security forces seized 63 U.S.-based weapons, most of which were M16 rifles and other advanced combat equipment. This has created a serious debate in the security circles of Pakistan that separatist elements such as the BLA now have access to this weaponry along with the banned terrorist organization Tekhrek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan is now enduring the resurgence of terrorism, and it stems from various factors, but the main reason is the availability of U.S. weaponry in the Black markets in Afghanistan. Advanced military gear such as rifles, night-vision goggles and machine guns was meant to stabilize Afghanistan but consequently fell into the hands of TTP, BLA and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Pakistani security forces, including elite units, have suffered significant casualties as militants equipped with American technology gain a tactical edge, especially in nighttime operations. For instance, Constable Ahmad Hussain was injured critically in a nighttime attack last year, and the Turbat attack on the naval base is a consequence of the high-tech equipment.
Pakistan has been fighting a war against terrorism for years and gained significant victories as well, but the sophistication of technology matters the most when it comes to guerrilla warfare. The terrorist outfits are now providing a tough time to Pakistan’s security forces, and this raises concerns over the inappropriate policies of the U.S. and the uneven record of keeping track of weapons in Pakistan. However, it is to say that Pakistan’s security forces are now bearing the cost of this failure.
Insurgent groups have combined US-made night-vision gear with drones and thermal optics, severely threatening Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts. Serial numbers confirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense under Freedom of Information Act requests show that dozens of weapons seized from militants in Pakistan were initially transferred to Afghan forces by the United States. The influx of American arms has empowered not only the TTP but also Baloch separatists, exacerbating Pakistan’s internal security challenges on multiple fronts.
Weapons markets along the Afghan-Pakistan border, such as in Darra Adamkhel, were reportedly flooded with U.S. arms shortly after the U.S. exit, further destabilizing the region. A United Nations report cited by the Post corroborates that the Afghan Taliban’s lower ranks are supplying weapons to the TTP, although both groups deny the allegations.
Pakistani officials, military personnel, and civilians see the U.S. arms left behind in Afghanistan not just as a security oversight but as a continuing source of regional instability and terrorism. As per the Post’s findings, Pakistan has become an unintended battleground due to the negligent handling of military equipment during the U.S. withdrawal, turning it into a victim of cross-border militancy fueled by external factors.
Despite facing mounting attacks, Pakistan has received limited international support in curbing the weapons flow or holding the Afghan Taliban accountable for harbouring and arming militants. The threat of terrorism is not limited to a specific territory, but the whole region, as well as the world, poses this imminent threat. It is the dire responsibility of the Interim Afghan Government (I.A.G.) to segregate their ideological linkage from the TTP, and they should take decisive measures against these outfits.
The U.S. should reconsider the matter of lifting the weapons embargo in Afghanistan and must coerce the I.A.G. to control the black markets or give the weapons back to the U.S. In Contrast, it will be significantly challenging to eliminate the current resurgence while operating high-tech military gear.
