Pakistan urges Kabul to eliminate terrorists to restore regional trust

• Special envoy Mohammad Sadiq addresses Iran-hosted meeting of regional representatives from six countries
• Says only terror-free Afghanistan can unlock economic potential, seeking joint regional approach on security, rights, education
• Iran had invited Taliban to meeting but they remained absent from high-level discussions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq on Sunday urged the de facto rulers in Kabul to rid Afghan soil of all forms of terrorism, stressing that such a step was essential to restore regional confidence and enable meaningful engagement with Afghanistan.

Addressing a high-level regional meeting hosted by Iran in Tehran, Sadiq said eliminating terrorist sanctuaries would not only ease neighbours’ security concerns but also help Afghanistan realise its economic and connectivity potential after decades of conflict.

Sadiq, who is Pakistan’s special representative to Afghanistan, was part of the meeting on Afghan affairs attended by representatives from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China and Russia, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. Iran had also invited the Taliban government, but it did not attend, a Taliban spokesman said.

Special representatives for Afghan affairs from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia attended the meeting.

Ambassador Sadiq wrote on X that he also stressed that the people of Afghanistan had already suffered enough and deserved better.

Participated in the Meeting of Special Representatives for Afghanistan of the Neighbouring Countries + Russia, hosted by Iran, today.
In my remarks, I agreed with the assessment of all participating countries that the continued threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil is a… pic.twitter.com/HlMZllFtMH

— Mohammad Sadiq (@AmbassadorSadiq) December 14, 2025

“It is, therefore, imperative that the current de facto rulers take steps to ameliorate their suffering. And the foremost step in this regard would be to rid their soil indiscriminately of all types of terrorists,” he said.

Sadiq said he made it clear that only an Afghanistan that does not harbour terrorists would inspire confidence in neighbouring and regional countries to engage meaningfully with Kabul, which could help unlock the country’s vast economic and connectivity potential.

Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Khan said Islamabad had initiated engagement with the Taliban with the understanding that collective decisions, including the possibility of Taliban recognition, would be taken by regional stakeholders.

“The grouping could not become an effective forum as the Taliban did not positively respond,” he told Dawn late on Sunday.

He said Pakistan wanted Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours to adopt a joint approach on counter-terrorism, inclusivity, girls’ education, and human and women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan have come under strain in recent months, with the presence of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) emerging as the central point of contention. Islamabad has repeatedly demanded that Kabul take action to stop cross-border terrorism and deny sanctuary to the TTP, allegations the Afghan Taliban have denied.

Following border clashes in October, the two sides initiated dialogue aimed at establishing mechanisms for lasting peace and stability. The second round of talks began on October 25 in Ankara, but Information Minister Attaullah Tarar later said the discussions “failed to bring about any workable solution”.

Mediators Turkiye and Qatar subsequently intervened, salvaging the process with a joint statement on October 31, in which Turkiye said further modalities would be discussed at a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6.

However, after the third round of talks, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced on November 7 that discussions on cross-border terrorism were “over” and had entered an indefinite phase due to unresolved differences.

Following the collapse of talks, the Afghan Taliban suspended trade ties with Pakistan, while Islamabad had already closed the border for trade soon after the October clashes.