Pakistan, China, Afghanistan vow joint anti-terror efforts

In a major development, three regional countries — Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan — on Wednesday expressed their resolve to strengthen joint efforts against the menace of terrorism.

The resolve came during the sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue held in Kabul between Pakistan’s FM Ishaq Dar, his Afghan counterparts Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and China’s Wang Yi.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the trilateral dialogues were focused on political, economic, and security cooperation between the countries.

The spokesperson said that the three sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and combating drug trafficking, as well as, extension of CPEC to Afghanistan.

Kabul urged to take concrete, verifiable steps against TTP, BLA

Earlier, DPM Dar urged the Taliban government in Kabul to take concrete and verifiable measures against terrorist entities such as the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Majeed Brigade.

The demand came during a meeting between DPM Dar and Afghanistan’s Acting FM Muttaqi, on the sidelines of the 6th trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers in Kabul.

This call follows the recent designation of the BLA and its militant faction, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO) by the United States.

In a statement, FO spokesperson said that the DPM highlighted a recent surge in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan perpetrated by groups operating from Afghan soil.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The country witnessed a slight uptick in terrorist attacks in July after a brief decline last month, according to the monthly security report released by the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

According to PICSS, the country reported 82 militant attacks across the country during July, resulting in 101 fatalities and 150 injuries. Those killed in militant attacks included 47 civilians, 36 security personnel, and 18 militants.

The FO spokesperson said: “Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral relations between their countries.”

“They welcomed the recent elevation of diplomatic representation between the two countries from chargé d’Affaires to ambassadorial level, as agreed during the trilateral meeting in Beijing on 21 May 2025,” the spokesperson added.

Reflecting on their recent engagements, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister’s visits to Kabul on 19 April 2025 and 17 July 2025, and the Beijing meeting on 21 May 2025, the ministers noted with appreciation that most decisions from these interactions have either been implemented or are nearing completion.

These efforts have significantly strengthened Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, particularly in the areas of trade and transit, read the statement.

During the meeting, DPM Dar acknowledged the encouraging progress in political and commercial ties, while expressing that progress in the security domain, especially in counter-terrorism, continues to lag behind.

The Afghan acting foreign minister reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to ensuring its territory is not used by any terrorist group against Pakistan or other nations.

The DPM extended his gratitude to the Afghan authorities for their warm hospitality and congratulated them on successfully hosting the 6th trilateral dialogue.