Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan

EDITORIAL: At the recent Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Special Envoy Mohammad Sadiq delivered a clear and urgent message: regional cooperation is essential to countering terrorism emanating from Afghan territory.

Speaking earlier at a quadrilateral meeting of special envoys from Pakistan, China, Russia, and Iran—countries that are not only neighbours but also key stakeholders in Afghan peace—he underscored that terrorism remains the most pressing threat to regional stability.

In a post on his official X account, Sadiq stated that the participating countries had unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to a stable, sovereign, and peaceful Afghanistan. They also emphasised the critical importance of ensuring that Afghan soil is not used by terrorist groups to threaten neighbouring nations.

All members of the quadrilateral group have, in different ways, suffered the consequences of instability in Afghanistan—be it through terrorist attacks, refugee inflows, narcotics trafficking, or economic disruptions. Pakistan’s envoy identified several groups of concern, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jaishul Adl, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant—known in this region as IS-Khorasan (IS-K).

With the exception of IS-K, which has carried out high-profile attacks within Afghanistan, most of the groups mentioned are primarily focused on Pakistan, or in the case of Jaishul Adl, on Iran. These groups do not directly threaten the Afghan state but continue to use Afghan territory as a sanctuary for cross-border operations.

The meeting’s emphasis on enhanced coordination and joint counter-terrorism efforts reflects a growing regional consensus on the need to address these challenges collectively. Earlier this year, UN counter-terrorism officials also warned that IS-K remains a serious threat to both regional and global security.

Pakistan, for its part, has repeatedly raised the issue of TTP sanctuaries with the Taliban government, but so far, its concerns have remained unaddressed. By focusing on shared concerns, the Moscow Format Consultations reaffirm the importance of regional cooperation rooted in geographical proximity and mutual interest in a peaceful Afghanistan.

Importantly, the participating countries are not external powers seeking influence, but rather immediate neighbours with a direct stake in Afghan stability. In this context it is also worth noting the evolving diplomatic dynamics. China has maintained embassy-level diplomatic relations and ongoing economic cooperation with the Taliban-led government.

In July this year, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban regime as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. These developments position both countries to potentially play a more influential role in eliciting meaningful commitments from Kabul on counter-terrorism.

With Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also present at the Moscow Format, the platform offered a crucial opportunity for the country’s neighbours to press for credible assurances that Afghan soil will not be used by terrorist groups to launch attacks against them. It can only be hoped though.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025