New York (TDI): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has urged Afghanistan’s interim authorities to take “concrete and verifiable” steps against militant groups operating from its soil, warning that their activities continue to destabilize the region and directly threaten Pakistan’s security.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Afghanistan on Wednesday, Dar said more than two dozen terrorist outfits were still active in the country. He specifically named the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Majeed Brigade and the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), alleging that they worked in tandem with al Qaeda.
“Our law enforcement officials and civilians continue to make enormous sacrifices because of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan,” he said, recalling that 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed this month in clashes with TTP militants infiltrating across the border. He added that extremists were now exploiting digital platforms to spread propaganda and incite violence, something that “cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”
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Dar stressed that Afghanistan remained trapped in political deadlock and international isolation, which “cannot continue indefinitely.” He urged OIC members to spearhead initiatives to pull the country out of crisis, proposing a three-pronged approach that combines humanitarian aid, economic revival and political engagement.
He called for greater international funding to meet Afghanistan’s urgent needs without attaching political conditions, as well as measures to stabilise its financial sector and promote regional connectivity projects to boost trade and employment. Dar also welcomed UN-led efforts to provide alternative livelihoods for farmers abandoning poppy cultivation and urged member states to back such programs.
At the same time, he pressed the Taliban to ease restrictions on women and girls, calling them “unjustified and contrary to Islamic principles.” He further underlined the need to create conditions for the safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees.
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To push progress, Dar proposed forming a working group of experts from OIC member states to design a practical roadmap, with reciprocal steps to address the spectrum of challenges confronting Afghanistan.
“Pakistan’s position is rooted in a genuine desire to see Afghanistan at peace and prospering,” he said, stressing that mutual respect, sincerity and political will from Kabul were essential. He added that while Afghanistan had entered a period of relative calm after decades of conflict, the stability remained fragile under the weight of sanctions, terrorism, narcotics, unemployment and an unrecognized political system.
