Pakistan, China and Afghanistan vow action against terrorist outfits

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have emphasised the need for not allowing any individual or group to use their territories to harm and threaten regional security and interests or conduct terrorist actions and activities, ARY News reported on Monday.

The understanding was reached at the recently concluded Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Islamabad in the attendance of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang and Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The three sides further deepen their cooperation in the security, development and political domains based on the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

They underscored the need to tackle security challenges directly impacting the stability and economic prosperity of the entire region.

The three countries emphasised the need for not allowing any individual, group or party, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement to use their territories to harm and threaten regional security and interests, or conduct terrorist actions and activities.

Underscoring the imperative to generate economic activity within Afghanistan, the Ministers agreed on further supporting the reconstruction of Afghanistan and exploring trilateral investment possibilities for industrialization and job creation.

They called upon the international community to engage constructively with the Afghan side.

The three leaders also stressed the importance of sustained and urgent humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan and urged the relevant countries to lift their unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan for the benefit of the Afghan people and create opportunities for economic development and prosperity there.

They reaffirmed their resolve to fully harness Afghanistan’s potential as a hub for regional connectivity and committed to jointly extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan under the larger Belt and Road Initiative.

The forum stressed on pushing forward the “hard connectivity” in infrastructure and “soft connectivity” in norms and standards to explore the facilitating measures for the movement of people and trade activities between the three countries.

The three sides also agreed to enhance transit trade through Gwadar Port.

They also agreed to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and continue cooperation in areas of mutual interest like agriculture, trade, energy, capacity building, border management, economic development and improving livelihoods.

The forum appreciated the neighboring countries especially Pakistan, for their generous hospitality in hosting millions of Afghan refugees, and called on the international community to provide necessary support and assistance to these countries and Afghanistan for the dignified return and reintegration of refugees into the Afghan society.