DPM Dar reiterates need to eliminate terrorist threat from Afghanistan at ECO meeting
Says Pakistan has always sought a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan that is at peace with its neighbours
On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the importance of eradicating the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan during a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Dar stressed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory was hindering the pursuit of peace, prosperity, and development in the region. He reiterated Pakistan's commitment to a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Afghanistan that is integrated into the regional fabric and maintains peace with its neighbors.
The foreign minister acknowledged Pakistan's efforts to engage constructively with the Taliban regime, including offering bilateral and transit trade concessions, and prioritizing the signing of a framework agreement for a feasibility study on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway project.
Dar warned that the Taliban regime must address Pakistan's security concerns, particularly by taking "concrete and verifiable actions" against groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which continue to threaten Pakistan's sovereignty and citizens.
He expressed deep concern over the current security situation in the region and the Middle East, reaffirming Pakistan's dedication to resolving disputes peacefully in line with international law. Dar called for ECO member states to leverage their collective potential to promote peace, resilience, and shared prosperity for nearly half a billion people residing in the region.
The foreign minister also thanked ECO member states for their confidence in Pakistan and reiterated Islamabad's commitment to advancing the organization's objectives and strengthening regional cooperation. He outlined Pakistan's priorities for the ECO chairmanship, such as deepening intra-regional trade and economic integration, enhancing connectivity and transit corridors, advancing a digitally enabled ECO Free Trade Area, and improving regional cooperation on climate resilience.
The meeting brought together foreign ministers and senior representatives from ECO member states, who discussed regional and global developments while expressing support for enhanced regional cooperation. The event served as an opportunity to build momentum towards the next 30th ECO Council of Ministers meeting, which will be held in Islamabad in November 2026.
Written by urgent.news from The Express Tribune - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
