A ministerial meeting of the Quadrilateral Group comprising Pakistan, China, Iran, and Russia last week expressed deep concern over the security challenges originating from Afghanistan, stressing that terrorist groups operating in the war-torn state “pose a serious threat to regional and global security.”
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan, while their respective foreign minister represented the other three countries, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday about the meeting held in New York on Sept. 27 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.
During the meeting, the ministers said terrorist groups such as Daesh, Al Qaeda, the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Jaishul Adl, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and other groups based in Afghanistan “continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.” Condemning recent terrorist attacks of all shapes and forms in Afghanistan and its surrounding region, the ministers “stressed [on] the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, as well as principles of equal indivisible security,” and pledged to “examine regional security issues from a more comprehensive and integrated perspective, and work together to address various security challenges in Afghanistan and the region.”
The quadrilateral meeting emphasized the need to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels. “Afghanistan should be supported in taking comprehensive measures to address both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism and to eradicate terrorism at an early date,” read the statement. “They [ministers] called on [Afghan Taliban rulers] to take visible and verifiable actions in fulfilling the international obligations and commitments made by Afghanistan to fight terrorism, dismantle, and eliminate all terrorist groups equally and non-discriminatory and prevent the use of Afghan territory against its neighbors, the region, and beyond,” it added.
All four countries also reiterated their support for Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, political independence, unity, and territorial integrity. “They reaffirmed principles of international law, particularly non-interference in its internal affairs, and the right of the Afghan people to independently decide the future of their country in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter,” read the statement.
Emphasizing that all members of the international community have a shared interest in a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, the ministers said the country should “serve as a platform for international cooperation rather than geopolitical competition.” They also urged the interim Afghanistan government to create conditions that facilitate the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, prevent further migration, and take serious measures to ensure returnees’ livelihoods and reintegration into political and social processes to achieve a lasting solution.
They said the international community and donors should provide adequate, predictable, regular, and sustainable financial support and other necessary assistance, in line with the principle of international responsibility and burden sharing, for time-bound and well-resourced repatriation of refugees back to Afghanistan, as well as to countries hosting Afghan refugees, particularly Iran and Pakistan.
“The ministers emphasized that strengthening peace and stability in Afghanistan and countering the threats of terrorism, and drug crime emanating from its territory are in line with our common interests in the region,” the statement concluded.
In his remarks, Asif highlighted the urgent need for Afghanistan’s interim government to prevent its territory from being used for cross-border attacks. “We have consistently urged the Afghan interim government to ensure that their land is not used for attacks against Pakistan. This is not only a matter of bilateral concern but a regional one,” he said.
This was the third ministerial-level meeting of the Quadrilateral Group, formed to address the situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power. Pakistan has been in the midst of a terror resurgence since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
According to data from the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), the country recorded 59 attacks in August, including 29 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 28 in Balochistan, and two in Punjab. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by militant organizations to carry out attacks against Pakistan, but has found little cooperation from the Afghan Taliban rulers.