In a recent important meeting held in Kabul, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have promised to fight together against terrorism. This meeting took place in the form of the sixth trilateral foreign ministers’ dialogue, in which Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi were present.
Purpose of the meeting
In this meeting, the three countries discussed collaboration on security and various other issues, including politics, economy, education, health, and trade. Especially emphasis was laid on stopping terrorism and drug trafficking. It was also decided that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be extended to Afghanistan, which would benefit both regional connectivity and trade.
Pakistan’s Concern
However, Ishaq Dar also expressed a big concern for Pakistan. He clearly said that there has been an increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan for some time, and most of the attacks are being carried out through groups operating from Afghan soil. Among these, the most frequently named were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Dar asked the Afghan government to take concrete and verifiable steps against these organizations.
Afghanistan’s Response
Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi assured that Afghanistan’s land will not be used against any neighboring country. He also emphasized furthering the recently improved political and economic relations with Pakistan. Afghanistan also said that most of the new agreements between the two countries have been completed or are about to be completed.
China’s role
In this meeting, China played the role of mediator and worked to bring the three countries to one platform. China clearly says that terrorism is not just a problem of one country, but a threat to the whole world. This is why China wants to continue such dialogues. Also, China emphasized connecting Afghanistan as much as possible under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Reality of the situation
If we look at the ground situation, terrorist incidents in Pakistan have been increasing continuously since 2021. According to the July 2025 report, there were 82 attacks in the country in which 101 people died and 150 were injured. The maximum impact of these incidents was seen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Because of this, there is pressure on the government of Pakistan to work more strictly with Afghanistan.
One positive aspect of the meeting was that Pakistan and Afghanistan have further strengthened their diplomatic relations. Now, ambassador-level officers will work in both countries instead of Charge d’Affaires. This will speed up the process of dialogue and decision-making between the two countries.
It is clear from this meeting that Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan have understood that without eliminating terrorism, neither trade can grow nor can there be stability in the region. Pakistan hopes that Afghanistan will not only give assurances but will also take strict action against organizations like TTP and BLA. This is an opportunity for Afghanistan to show the world that its land is not being used for terrorism.
Overall, this meeting in Kabul is a positive step, but the real challenge now is to put these promises into practice. Pakistan has repeatedly said that it wants concrete evidence and not just words of assurance. If Afghanistan shows seriousness this time, a new era of peace and development can begin in the region.
My name is Farhad Dawar and I am graduate of the Institute of Media and Communication Studies Bahaddin Zakariya University Multan Pakistan. I’m passionate about journalism and media, and I believe in journalism of courage, uncovering the truth, and shaping the future.
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
- Farhad Dawarhttps://dawartimes.com/author/admin/
