Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran push coordinated action on Afghanistan

Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran reaffirmed on Tuesday their shared objective of a stable, sovereign and peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and external interference at a quadrilateral meeting of special representatives in Moscow.

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, said in posts on X that the participants stressed closer coordination and joint action against militant groups. He listed organisations of concern including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Jaish al-Adl, Daesh and al-Qaeda.

Ambassador Sadiq reported a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines. With Iran’s Ambassador Muhammad Reza Bahrami, he discussed recent developments and agreed on continued dialogue to address shared threats. In a separate session with China’s Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, both sides reviewed regional security, counter-terrorism cooperation and humanitarian issues affecting Afghans. Sadiq also met Russia’s Ambassador Zamir Kabulov to explore measures for sustained regional collaboration.

The consultations come as Islamabad presses the Taliban administration to take “concrete and verifiable measures” against groups using Afghan soil for attacks, a stance reiterated this year at the Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Kabul. Pakistan says extending regional economic connectivity, including CPEC linkages, will depend on improved security conditions.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned Kabul that it must choose between militants and cooperation with Pakistan, while Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has publicly urged stronger action against banned outfits. The four-nation format in Moscow framed counter-terrorism as a collective regional priority alongside efforts to stabilise Afghanistan’s economy and humanitarian situation.