Samarkand moot expresses concerns over use of Afghan soil by terrorists’ groups

ISLAMABAD: The Fourth Ministerial Conference of Afghanistan’s Neighbouring Countries held in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand on Thursday noted that the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan continued to pose threats to regional peace – a stance Pakistan has long been advocating.

According to a declaration of the neighbouring countries’ meeting, “The parties pointed out that all terrorist groups, namely the Daesh, Al-Qaeda, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jundallah, Jaish al-Adl, Jamaat Ansarullah and other terrorist organisations based in Afghanistan continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.”

Recently, in its report, Radio Free Europe also said that after the United States pulled out its troops from Afghanistan, it left behind military equipment and weapons worth $7 billion which later boosted the military capabilities of the banned TTP and Baloch separatist groups in Pakistan.

The US left behind weapons and equipment including firearms, communications gear, and even armoured vehicles which gave the militants a “vast war chest”, the report added.

Attended by the foreign ministers and senior officials of China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the neighbouring countries’ meeting noted that the terrorism-related security situation in Afghanistan was still severe and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance cooperation on counter-terrorism and security among neighbouring countries and to develop a united front against terrorism.

Pakistan always maintained that the success of any regional or international effort to mitigate the current situation in Afghanistan will remain subject to IAG’s seriousness for ensuring that Afghan soil is not used against any country.

Since the Taliban takeover, Pakistan also called for the establishment of an inclusive political structure, the adoption of moderate domestic and foreign policies, and the safeguarding basic rights of all Afghans, including ethnic groups, women and children.

The Afghan authorities would also have to take visible steps to ensure that Afghanistan would never again serve as a breeding ground, safe haven or source of proliferation for terrorism.

“Terrorism is a common enemy and peace and stability is a collective responsibility. Any action by IAG to rein in anti-Pakistan elements and not to let Afghan soil against Pakistan would strengthen brotherly relations between the two countries,” a security analyst said.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, who also addressed the meeting said, “We also believe that more needs to be done to eradicate the foothold of terrorist organisations from Afghanistan, without distinction and in a concerted and uniform manner. Greater cooperation and coordination with the interim Afghan government remain critical. We look forward to working closely with the neighbouring states and the international community to this end.”

She said the menace of terrorism continued to blight the lives of Afghan people on a daily basis and the threat posed by terrorist organisations to the neighbouring states and the region, had accentuated.