Deputy PM Ishaq Dar told the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers that lasting regional stability depends on eradicating terrorism originating from Afghan soil.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that lasting peace and stability in the region can only be achieved by eliminating the threat of terrorism originating from Afghan soil, addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
He told delegates that durable peace, stability, and economic development in the region depend on eradicating terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan wants to see a peaceful, stable, and regionally integrated Afghanistan that maintains peaceful ties with its neighbours, a goal he said would serve the interests of all SCO member states and beyond.
Dar described Afghan-origin terrorism as one of the most serious security challenges currently facing Pakistan. He said militant groups continue to recruit, train, and operate from Afghan territory with the knowledge and facilitation of the Afghan Taliban administration, calling this support well documented and noting that Pakistan remains at the forefront of the threat.
According to Dar, more than 560 Pakistanis have been killed in over 2,000 terrorist attacks so far this year alone. He added that it was deeply troubling that Afghan nationals have also been implicated in a number of these incidents. He called on the SCO to press the Afghan Taliban regime to honour its counter-terrorism commitments to the international community and meet its responsibilities toward global peace and security.
Turning to the SCO’s broader role, Dar said the organisation has grown into an anchor for regional cooperation over the past 25 years, evolving from a security-focused Shanghai Five grouping into a comprehensive platform spanning security, economic development, culture, and peacebuilding. He said the bloc’s strategy for the coming decade should prioritise digital inclusivity, narrowing the technological gap between member states, and strengthening energy security.
On the situation in the Middle East, Dar reaffirmed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only sustainable path to resolving conflicts, pointing to Pakistan’s role in hosting talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad in April, which he said marked the first high-level direct contact between the two sides in 47 years. He described the Islamabad memorandum of understanding signed in June 2026 as a historic breakthrough made possible by Pakistan’s close engagement with both parties and its wider diplomatic outreach, and urged the international community to build on that momentum.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Dar held separate bilateral talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Foreign Office said the discussion with Wang covered bilateral ties, regional developments, and cooperation within multilateral forums, with the Chinese minister conveying good wishes ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State and its hosting of the 2027 SCO Summit. Dar also thanked President Zhaparov for his hospitality during the gathering.
Established in 2001 as a security-focused grouping, the SCO has since expanded into a platform for regional trade and economic cooperation. Its ten member states include India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with Afghanistan and Mongolia holding observer status. Pakistan is set to assume the organisation’s chairmanship for 2026–27.
