Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan on Wednesday reaffirmed their resolve to strengthen regional security and deepen mutual ties, pledging joint efforts to counter terrorism and expand economic cooperation.

The commitment was made during the sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue held in Kabul, where Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

According to Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, the high-level dialogue centered on political, economic, and security cooperation between the three nations. The ministers reiterated their shared commitment to working together in areas such as trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and counter-narcotics, while also supporting the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

During his bilateral meeting with Acting FM Muttaqi, Ishaq Dar urged the Taliban government to take concrete and verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and its Majeed Brigade faction. His demand comes in the wake of the U.S. designation of the BLA and Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO).

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Dar expressed serious concern over the surge in terror attacks inside Pakistan, many of which are believed to have been orchestrated from Afghan soil. A recent security report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) recorded 82 militant attacks in July alone, leaving 101 dead and 150 injured. Among the fatalities were 47 civilians, 36 security personnel, and 18 militants.

Despite concerns over security, the ministers welcomed the “positive trajectory” of bilateral and trilateral relations. They celebrated the recent elevation of diplomatic representation between Pakistan and Afghanistan from chargé d’Affaires to ambassadorial level, a move first agreed during the May 2025 trilateral meeting in Beijing.

The leaders also acknowledged the progress made in trade and transit cooperation, noting that most of the decisions taken in earlier rounds of dialogue have already been implemented or are close to completion. While Dar highlighted that progress in counter-terrorism efforts remains slow, he acknowledged Afghanistan’s assurances that its territory would not be used against Pakistan or any other country.