ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran have urged Afghanistan to take “effective, concrete, and verifiable actions” to dismantle militants groups operating on its soil, according to a joint statement issued after a quadripartite meeting in New York.
Officials of the four countries met on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and reaffirmed their support for Afghanistan as an independent and peaceful state “free from terrorism, war and narcotics,” but underlined the need to prevent militants from using its territory.
Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran have been holding quadripartite consultations on Afghanistan since 2017, which aim to promote regional stability and coordinate efforts to counter militancy, narcotics and extremism. The grouping seeks to facilitate political dialogue and regional economic integration in Afghanistan.
“The four sides expressed deep concern over the security situation related to terrorism in Afghanistan, noting that terrorist groups such as ISIL, Al-Qaeda, the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jaish Al-Adl, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other similar groups in the region including Majeed Brigade, as well as others, based in Afghanistan, continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security,” the statement said.
