Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying joint efforts against terrorism while strengthening cooperation in political, economic, and security areas.
The announcement came during the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue in Kabul, attended by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.
According to the Foreign Office, the three countries agreed to bolster counter-terrorism measures and expand collaboration in trade, transit, health, education, culture, regional development, and combating drug trafficking. A key outcome was the consensus to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.
Before the trilateral session, Dar met Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi bilaterally, expressing concern over rising terrorist attacks inside Pakistan linked to groups operating from Afghan soil. He called on Kabul to take “concrete and verifiable measures” against banned entities including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade, following the US designation of BLA and Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.
The FO highlighted that cross-border attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had surged since 2021. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported 82 militant attacks in July alone, causing 101 deaths and 150 injuries, including civilians, security personnel, and militants.
Pakistan-Afghanistan relations
Dar and Muttaqi expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of bilateral ties, noting recent steps such as upgrading diplomatic representation to ambassadorial level, agreed during the Beijing trilateral meeting in May 2025. They recalled prior engagements, including Dar’s visits to Kabul in April and July, which had strengthened trade and transit relations. However, Dar emphasized that progress in counter-terrorism had lagged behind political and commercial advances.
Afghanistan assured Pakistan that no terrorist group would be allowed to operate from its soil, reaffirming commitment to security cooperation.
