Dar urges SCO to press Afghan Taliban on counter-terrorism commitments

CHOLPON-ATA: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to urge Afghanistan's Taliban authorities to honour their international counter-terrorism commitments, saying lasting peace and regional stability depended on eliminating terrorism emanating from Afghan territory.

Addressing the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (SCO-CFM) meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Dar said Pakistan remained committed to a peaceful, stable and economically integrated Afghanistan that lived in harmony with its neighbours.

However, he described terrorism originating from Afghan soil as one of Pakistan's gravest security challenges, alleging that banned groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), continued to recruit, train and operate from Afghanistan.

He said the operating environment available to terrorist organisations had also been highlighted in reports of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, adding that more than 560 Pakistanis had been martyred in over 2,000 terrorist incidents this year, with Afghan nationals allegedly involved in several attacks.

Dar urged SCO member states to call upon the Afghan Taliban to fulfil their international obligations and prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against neighbouring countries.

Highlighting Pakistan's diplomatic initiatives, the foreign minister said Islamabad believed dialogue and diplomacy remained the only sustainable path to resolving conflicts and ensuring regional peace.

He referred to Pakistan's role in facilitating direct talks between the United States and Iran, describing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed in June 2026, as a historic diplomatic breakthrough that paved the way for renewed engagement between the two countries after decades.

Expressing gratitude for the confidence shown by both Washington and Tehran, Dar urged the international community to build on the Islamabad agreement and ongoing technical talks to secure lasting regional peace, while cautioning against attempts by hostile actors to derail the process.

The deputy prime minister also praised the SCO's evolution over the past 25 years from a security-focused grouping into a comprehensive regional organisation promoting cooperation in security, economic development, connectivity and cultural exchanges.

He said the "Shanghai Spirit"—based on mutual trust, equality, respect for diversity and shared development—continued to guide the organisation's efforts in combating terrorism, separatism and extremism while strengthening regional cooperation.

Looking ahead, Dar called for greater collaboration in digital connectivity, technological innovation, energy security and financial integration, including wider use of national currencies in regional trade to reduce external vulnerabilities.

Reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to the SCO, he said Islamabad looked forward to assuming the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State in September and hosting the summit next year, with a focus on advancing economic cooperation, regional connectivity and deeper people-to-people ties.