KABUL: Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan on Wednesday reaffirmed their resolve to intensify collective efforts against terrorism while expanding collaboration across political, economic, and security domains.
The commitment was made during the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Kabul, attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
According to the Foreign Office, the three sides also agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, transit, health, education, culture, regional development, and counter-narcotics, alongside advancing plans to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.
On the sidelines, FM Dar met with Muttaqi, where both sides noted progress in political and economic ties and welcomed the recent upgrade of diplomatic relations to ambassadorial level. They acknowledged that most decisions from recent engagements had been implemented or were nearing completion, particularly in trade and transit.
Dar, however, stressed that cooperation in the security domain still lagged, citing a surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan by groups operating from Afghan soil. He urged Kabul to take “concrete and verifiable measures” against banned outfits, including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army/Majeed Brigade. In response, Muttaqi reiterated Afghanistan’s commitment to preventing the use of its territory by any terrorist group against Pakistan or other countries.
The trilateral process had been revived following a May 21 understanding in Beijing, where the three countries agreed in principle to exchange ambassadors and extend CPEC to Afghanistan. China, with strategic stakes in regional stability and connectivity under its Belt and Road Initiative, hosted that meeting to help resume the trilateral dialogue, which had been stalled since 2023.
Key outcomes from both the Beijing and Kabul meetings included enhancing joint counter-terrorism efforts, preventing external interference, and formally resuming the trilateral process. Pakistan praised China’s role in facilitating the dialogue, while Afghanistan reiterated its call for “mutual respect and constructive engagement” with both Islamabad and Beijing.
