ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Thursday said that Afghanistan has assured both Pakistan and China during the trilateral meeting in Beijing that the Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism and the Taliban government would curb terrorism.
Addressing the media on his return from Beijing on Thursday, he announced that discussions with Chinese top officials on CPEC Phase 2 were detailed and promising.
“We have successfully laid the groundwork for expanded cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative”, he said.
He termed his recent three-day China visit “highly successful,” and said that Pakistan had achieved significant progress on diplomatic, strategic, and economic fronts during the high-level talks with top Chinese cabinet members held in Beijing.
He said that financing and coordination for this mega rail project had been taken up directly with China, which had responded positively.
“This huge connectivity project, along with the Peshawar–Kabul Highway and ML-1 upgrades, will massively boost Pakistan’s connectivity to Central Asian Republics and enhance the trade potential of our underutilized ports.”, DPM Dar said.
He added that the visit also marked substantive decisions with China and Afghanistan, especially on refugee matters and counterterrorism, as the foreign ministers of the three countries met.
DPM told the media that in the trilateral meeting, a clear agreement was reached with both China and Afghanistan that no terrorist organization — whether TTP, BLA, or others — would be allowed to use any country’s soil against another.
He said that all of the decisions during his visit to Kabul, taken on April 17, were immediately implemented within 72 hours – in letter and spirit by Pakistan.
Answering a question on security cooperation, Dar said, “China has deep concerns over attacks on its personnel in Pakistan, they were assured that we are addressing these threats seriously.”
“During the trilateral meeting, all three discussed a permanent mechanism to prevent cross-border terrorism, and I commend both China and Afghanistan for aligning with our zero-tolerance stance”, he said.
“Now, our resolve is clear: we will crush terrorism with an iron hand, as we did before,” he said.
DPM Ishaq Dar also referenced China’s condolences for the Khuzdar bus attack victims, noting that justice would be served swiftly and perpetrators would be arrested. DPM Dar emphasized that the Chinese leadership stood by Pakistan on all core issues.
“They reiterated their support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly backed Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, calling for a resolution in line with UN Security Council resolutions. We reaffirmed our support for the One-China policy, including Tibet”, he said.
Marking the 74th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic ties, Dar congratulated China and invited his Chinese counterpart to Islamabad for the second round of the Pakistan–China Strategic Dialogue, following the first round held in Beijing. He said the Chinese foreign minister accepted the invitation.
He also told the media that the Chinese Minister for International Development and a senior Communist Party leader met his delegation and praised Pakistan’s global outreach.
On conflict with India, DPM Dar stated, “We have successfully countered the Indian narrative, especially regarding the events of 22nd April, and Pakistan offered an international investigation into the Pahalgam incident, which India declined. Our transparency strengthened Pakistan’s credibility, and several international actors endorsed our position after verifying the facts.”
He condemned Indian attacks on the 7th and 10th of May and shared that during the recent conflict, 75 Indian aircraft were launched, 24 payloads dropped, and multiple aircraft, including Rafales and a UAV, were downed by Pakistan.
“We responded in daylight under the UN Charter — not as cowards, but as a responsible, sovereign nation.”
He confirmed that the ceasefire agreement, brokered after US Secretary Rubio’s call, was holding and said that military-to-military engagements via DGMOs were progressing smoothly.
“Our deterrence is defensive, not aggressive. We have never built our nukes and missiles to attack others, but to safeguard peace”, DPM Dar said.
He called recent remarks by the Indian Defence Minister “regrettable” and said, “Pakistan desires peace. However, we will always defend our sovereignty with full force when challenged.”
Dar highlighted his government’s commitment to improving ties with Afghanistan. “We have religious, cultural, historical, and geographical ties with Afghanistan. Our outreach was welcomed across Afghan society. We need to progress beyond the charge d’affaires level and engage substantively.”
He announced an extension of the transit document regime for Afghan drivers and vehicles until June 30 and introduced a single document regime of $100 multiple-entry visa for Afghan citizens. “These initiatives were deeply appreciated by Afghan officials,” he noted.
Dar congratulated Field Marshal Asim Munir on his promotion, calling it a “well-deserved recognition” for his extraordinary leadership and cooperation during national security engagements.
