Afghan terror safe havens worry Pakistan, Iran

Pakistan and Iran on Monday shared concerns over the presence of terrorist outfits in Afghanistan, stressing the need for close coordination between the two countries and other regional players to persuade Kabul to come good on its promises.

An Iranian delegation led by the country’s special envoy on Afghanistan Hassan Kazmi Qomi held “extensive” discussions with Pakistani authorities at the Foreign Office (FO). The delegation included key members from the Iranian side who look after the Afghan policy.

The Pakistani side was led by Ambassador Asif Durrani, the special representative on Afghanistan. The Iranian special envoy also met Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani along with other members of the delegation.

The visit came at a time when both Pakistan and Afghanistan relations are tense over Kabul’s failure to stop cross-border terrorist attacks. Iran is also worried that the presence of terrorist groups on Afghan soil can pose a serious security threat.

A statement issued by the foreign office said that the foreign minister underscored Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan and emphasised the need for enhanced coordination for regional stability.

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He also underlined the critical role of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to achieve the vision of a peaceful and stable region.

Earlier, Qomi held extensive talks with his counterpart, Pakistan's Special Representative on Afghanistan on the situation in Afghanistan and the regional processes for peace and dialogue, according to the statement.

No further details were provided but sources said that both sides discussed the presence of terrorist organisations in Afghanistan with a lot of concern.

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Pakistan and Iran have suffered both in terms of the influx of refugees and cross-border terrorism because of the instability in Afghanistan.

There has been a surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Iran too is worried over the lack of action against terrorist outfits by the Afghan Taliban government.

Earlier this month, Iran was rocked by a terrorist attack in Kerman on the death anniversary of General Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander, who was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq.

The terrorist attack was claimed by Da’ish and the involvement of a Tajik national in the incident worried Tehran. Sources believed both sides discussed the threat posed by these terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.

Iran is in favour of the formation of a regional contact group to pave the way for solutions to Afghanistan’s problems.

On its part, Pakistan is reaching out to the neighbouring countries and other players to brief them about the inaction of the Taliban government against a host of terrorist outfits including the TTP.

Sources said that Islamabad feels regional countries can put pressure on the Taliban government to fulfil the promises they made to the international community.