ib an , ▁bomb arded ▁Afghan istan ' s ▁last ▁Sh ia ▁strong hold . ▁The ▁same ▁year ▁Russia ▁said , ▁Pakistan ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁" mil it ary ▁expansion " ▁of ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁in ▁northern ▁Afghan istan ▁by ▁sending ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁Pak ist ani ▁troops ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁subsequently ▁been ▁taken ▁as ▁prisoners ▁by ▁the ▁anti - T al ib an ▁United ▁Front . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁UN ▁Security ▁Council ▁im posed ▁an ▁arms ▁embargo ▁against ▁military ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁Tal ib an , ▁with ▁UN ▁officials ▁explicitly ▁sing ling ▁out ▁Pakistan . ▁The ▁UN ▁secretary - general ▁implicitly ▁critic ized ▁Pakistan ▁for ▁its ▁military ▁support ▁and ▁the ▁Security ▁Council ▁stated ▁it ▁was ▁" deep ly ▁dist ress [ ed ] ▁over ▁reports ▁of ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁fighting , ▁on ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁side , ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁non - A fg han ▁national s ." ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁several ▁countries ▁including ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁accused ▁Pakistan ▁of ▁being ▁" in ▁viol ation ▁of ▁U . N . ▁san ctions ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁military ▁aid ▁to ▁the ▁Tal ib an ." ▁The ▁Tal ib an ▁also ▁obtained ▁financial ▁resources ▁from ▁Pakistan . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁alone , ▁after ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁Kab ul ▁by ▁the ▁Tal ib an , ▁Pakistan ▁gave ▁$ 3 0 ▁million ▁in ▁aid ▁and ▁a ▁further ▁$ 1 0 ▁million ▁for ▁government ▁w ages . ▁