ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday raised concerns with his Afghan counterpart over a reported “increase in terrorist attacks” in Pakistan, allegedly carried out by groups operating from Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Foreign Office.
Dar held a bilateral meeting with Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the sidelines of the 6th trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan in Kabul.
The Foreign Office noted that while Dar welcomed progress in political and economic relations, he expressed concern that advancements in security cooperation, particularly in counter-terrorism, had lagged.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, cited a recent rise in attacks in Pakistan attributed to groups based in Afghanistan. He called on Afghan authorities to take concrete action against organizations such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Muttaqi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to preventing its territory from being used by any terrorist groups to target Pakistan or other countries, the statement added.
The Foreign Office said both ministers welcomed the overall positive trajectory of bilateral relations, including the recent upgrade of diplomatic representation from Chargé d’Affaires to Ambassadorial level.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of failing to curb TTP and other militant groups operating across the border—a claim Kabul has denied.
In April, leaders from both countries agreed not to allow their territories to be used for attacks against each other, during Dar’s visit to Kabul aimed at restoring ties strained by militancy and the refugee crisis.
