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NEW YORK, September 26, 2026: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for an end to the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan.
Dar made the remarks while chairing the 27th Informal Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Council of Ministers in New York.
He said Pakistan had consistently supported a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan integrated with the region.
However, he said terrorism from Afghan soil continued to undermine efforts to promote peace, development and regional cooperation.
Dar said Pakistan had pursued constructive engagement with the Taliban regime.
Islamabad had also offered bilateral and transit trade concessions to Afghanistan, he said.
Pakistan has also prioritised a framework agreement for a feasibility study on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway project.
However, Dar said Pakistan expected the Taliban government to address its security concerns through concrete and verifiable action.
He specifically referred to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliates.
Dar said these groups continued to threaten Pakistan’s sovereignty and the lives of its citizens. These assertions were presented as Pakistan’s official position.
He said lasting peace and development in the region required eliminating the terrorist threat from Afghanistan.
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Dar also outlined Pakistan’s priorities as chair of the ECO Council of Ministers for 2026-27.
The priorities include stronger intra-regional trade and economic integration.
Pakistan also wants to improve connectivity and transit corridors linking Central Asia with ports on the Arabian Sea.
Dar called for progress towards a digitally enabled ECO Free Trade Area.
He also highlighted stronger regional cooperation on climate resilience.
The ECO region covers around eight million square kilometres and has nearly half a billion people. Yet member states account for about 2.2% of global trade, while intra-regional trade remains around 8% of total regional trade.
Dar said these figures showed the scope for deeper regional economic integration.
He called for better transport networks, harmonised customs procedures and improved transit systems.
Pakistan, he said, was ready to support regional connectivity by using its location and transport links to the Arabian Sea.
Foreign ministers and senior representatives from ECO member states attended the informal meeting.
They exchanged views on regional and global developments and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation.
The meeting also helped build momentum ahead of the 30th ECO Council of Ministers meeting, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in Islamabad in November.
ECO Secretary General Dr Asad Majeed Khan also briefed the meeting.
Pakistan has said its ECO chairmanship will focus on translating regional potential into stronger connectivity, trade and economic cooperation.
[…] Dar Calls for End to Terror Threat From Afghanistan […]