Ending Terrorism from Afghan Soil Essential for Regional Development: Ishaq Dar

New York: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that lasting peace, prosperity and development in the region cannot be achieved unless terrorism emanating from Afghan soil is eliminated.

Addressing the 27th Informal Meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Council of Ministers in New York, Dar said regional cooperation required more than dialogue and called for concrete and practical steps to strengthen economic integration.

He noted that intra-regional trade among ECO countries accounted for only around 8 per cent of total regional trade, despite the region being home to nearly half a billion people. He said increasing trade and economic cooperation should be a shared objective of member states.

Dar said Pakistan remained committed to peace and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, while expressing concern over the changing security situation in the Middle East and the wider region.

Focus on Regional Connectivity

The deputy prime minister stressed the need to accelerate corridor projects linking Central Asia with ports on the Arabian Sea. He said Pakistan was ready to serve as a gateway for the region by facilitating the movement of people and goods.

He called for the ECO Free Trade Area to be made fully functional and digitally enabled to expand market access, support businesses and promote innovation.

Dar also highlighted climate change as a growing threat to agriculture and water security across the region, calling for greater cooperation on sustainable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster-risk reduction.

Afghanistan and Security Concerns

Speaking about Afghanistan, Dar said Pakistan wanted a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan that was at peace with itself and its neighbours.

He said Pakistan had pursued constructive engagement with the Taliban government, including through bilateral and transit trade initiatives. Pakistan has also been pursuing a framework agreement for a feasibility study on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project, he added.

“Pakistan’s only expectation from the Taliban regime is to address our legitimate security concerns,” Dar said, calling for concrete and verifiable action against militant groups that Pakistan says operate from Afghan soil.

He stressed that the use of Afghan territory for terrorism remained a challenge to regional stability and said economic development would remain difficult without addressing the security threat.

Dar reiterated Pakistan’s desire for a stable Afghanistan integrated with the wider region, saying peace and regional connectivity would create greater opportunities for economic cooperation among ECO member states.