Tackling terror

In a much-needed show of unity, the foreign ministers of China, Iran, Pakistan and Russia have called upon Afghanistan's rulers to take "effective, concrete and verifiable actions" against terrorist groups entrenched on its soil. A joint statement, issued yesterday after a huddle on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, holds to account Kabul's failure to curtail militant sanctuaries that continue to imperil regional stability and global security.

The roster of the various violent outfits operating from Afghanistan is long and wide. Their agendas may differ, but their destabilising impact converges, causing perpetual insecurity across borders. For Pakistan, the renewed ferocity of the TTP has exacted a grave toll, both in human lives and in economic setbacks. Other neighbours, too, suffer from cross-border militancy and the spectre of extremism seeping into their societies. This cannot be allowed to persist.

The time for platitudes is over. A strict, no-tolerance policy towards terrorism must now be the collective creed of the region. That entails unrelenting diplomatic and political pressure on the Taliban, coordinated intelligence-sharing, disruption of terror financing and fortified border management. Selective indulgence of any militant faction will only prolong instability and further isolate Afghanistan.

Kabul must be made to understand that legitimacy in the international community is contingent upon action, not rhetoric. Security and economic growth are inextricably linked. Without peace, regional connectivity projects and foreign investment will remain hostage to violence.

The message must therefore be unambiguous: that there will be no safe havens and no tolerance for terrorism in any guise. Regional unity must be harnessed not merely for declarations but for decisive action. Only then can Afghanistan be transformed from a source of insecurity into a bridge of cooperation, enabling the wider region to claim its rightful share of peace and progress.