Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister held a bilateral meeting today with Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Kabul. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 6th Trilateral Meeting between Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan, focused on the strengthening bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum in relations, particularly noting the recent upgrade of diplomatic representation to the ambassadorial level, following an agreement reached in Beijing on May 21, 2025. They highlighted the progress made since previous engagements, including the Pakistani minister’s visits to Kabul in April and July, and the May meeting in Beijing, noting that most decisions from these meetings have been implemented or are nearing completion. This progress has significantly boosted cooperation in trade and transit.

However, while acknowledging progress in political and commercial ties, the Pakistani minister expressed concern over the lagging progress in security cooperation. He pointed to a recent increase in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, attributed to groups operating from Afghan soil, specifically mentioning the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)/Majeed Brigade. He urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete and verifiable action against these groups.

The Afghan Acting Foreign Minister reiterated Afghanistan’s commitment to preventing the use of its territory by any terrorist group to launch attacks against Pakistan or other nations.

The Pakistani minister thanked the Afghan authorities for their hospitality and congratulated them on hosting the successful trilateral dialogue.