City Desk
Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the region should develop an independent security architecture and take greater responsibility for its own peace and stability. He was speaking as chief guest at an international conference on Pakistan’s counterterrorism landscape, organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
Dar said Pakistan had made one demand of the Afghan Taliban: visible, verifiable and irreversible action against the TTP and associated groups and their sanctuaries in Afghanistan. He urged Kabul to honour its Doha commitments. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be mistaken for weakness.
In the working sessions, former ambassadors Abrar Hussain, Asif Durrani and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry called for coordinated diplomacy with Kabul involving China, Russia and Iran, sustained dialogue, border management, protection of legitimate trade and effective implementation of UN sanctions. Major General Zahid Mehmood cited 225 militant attacks in Pakistan in September 2026, stressing that Pakistan targets terrorist infrastructure, not Afghans.
Foreign speakers, including Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, urged intelligence-led counterterrorism, lawful accountability and pragmatic US-Pakistan cooperation.
ISSI Chairman Ambassador Khalid Mahmood called for a comprehensive framework to counter the TTP and BLA threats through intelligence-sharing, coordinated action and respect for sovereignty.
