Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran view Afghanistan-based terror groups as global ‘threats’
A ministerial meeting of the Quadrilateral Group — comprising Pakistan, China, Iran, and Russia — expressed deep concern over the security challenges originating from Afghanistan, stating that terrorist groups operating in the war-torn country “pose a serious threat to regional and global security.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), but also in southwestern Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.
According to data from the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), the two most vulnerable provinces saw a sharp rise in deadly attacks last month.
The digital database of security incidents managed by the Islamabad-based think-tank suggested an alarming situation as the number of attacks jumped from 38 in July to 59 in August. These incidents included 29 attacks in KP, 28 in Balochistan, and two in Punjab.
The government in Islamabad has time again called on Kabul’s interim rulers to prevent their land from being used by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant organisations for carrying out attacks against Pakistan.
The quadrilateral meeting was held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on September 27, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif attended the meeting on behalf of Pakistan while China, Russia and Iran were represented by their respective foreign ministers.
During the meeting, the ministers said that terrorist groups such as Daesh, Al-Qaida, the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Jaish ul-Adl, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), TTP and other groups based in Afghanistan, “continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security”.
