THE fact that four of Afghanistan’s neighbours have spoken unanimously against Afghan soil being used by militants should send a strong message to the ruling Taliban. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Iran, Russia and China, meeting on the sidelines of the 80th UNGA last week, have issued a joint statement calling for Afghanistan to be “free from terrorism [and] war”. The quadripartite grouping highlighted various issues in the document, mincing no words about their mutual concern regarding terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. It urged the Afghan rulers to take “effective, concrete and verifiable actions” against terrorism, while adding that militant groups based in the country, such as IS, Al Qaeda, TTP and BLA, among others, “continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security”. The grouping also appreciated Pakistan and Iran for hosting Afghan refugees. Furthermore, the statement raised concern about narcotics from Afghanistan flowing into the larger region. Interestingly, in an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump’s desire to retake Bagram airbase, the quadripartite grouping “firmly opposed” efforts to re-establish military bases in Afghanistan “by the countries responsible for the current situation”.

The threat Afghanistan-based militant groups pose to regional states is clear. Pakistan has particularly been affected by cross-border terrorism. On Friday security forces said they had neutralised at least 17 terrorists in KP’s Karak district. Meanwhile, the minister of state for interior told a recent presser that “80pc of terrorist attackers are Afghans”. It is hoped that when Afghanistan’s neighbours, particularly China and Russia, speak, the Taliban will listen. Moscow is the only state to recognise the Taliban regime, while Beijing has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Afghanistan. Therefore, while Afghan officials may reiterate that their territory will not be used against others, when the foreign ministers of four of Afghanistan’s neighbours issue a detailed statement expressing concern about militants based on Afghan soil, denials from Kabul hold little weight. If the Afghan Taliban truly desire recognition and reintegration into the global community, they must first prove that their neighbours will not face threats from inimical actors based on their soil. In fact, unless militant activity by groups based in Afghanistan decreases visibly, Kabul’s neighbours might consider downgrading ties to the bare minimum, until the Taliban change their tune.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2025