KABUL: Counterterrorism officials from the United States, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries have drawn a roadmap to jointly address threats and speed up intelligence sharing, the Afghan national security agency said on Thursday.
The officials met in Kabul earlier this week for the two-day "Regional Conference on Campaign Against Terrorism," which had representatives from the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and five Central Asian countries, and delegates from Azerbaijan, the Directorate of National Security (NDS) said in a statement.
No representatives from Afghanistan's major neighbors — India, Iran, China and Russia — were present during the meeting.
"A roadmap for preclusion of joint threats from terroristic activities was drawn ... and an agreement was reached on identifying joint security threats and taking measures against their annihilation, speeding up exchange of information among the services," the NDS said.
"Participants of this meeting focused on joint threats of terrorism on national, regional and international level."
The meeting comes as Taliban attacks are on the rise in the country and Kabul is putting pressure on the new US administration to renegotiate last year's Washington-Taliban deal to withdraw all NATO troops from Afghanistan by the end of April.
Under the accord signed in Doha, Qatar, in February, the Taliban pledged to cut ties with all militant groups, including Al-Qaeda. Authorities in Kabul, as well as NATO and US officials have in recent months repeatedly said that the group had not fulfilled the pledge.
"We wanted to show to our neighbors that Afghanistan is on the frontline of war on terrorism and that if you do not side with us in this campaign, you will also face similar threats like us," a security source told Arab News on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
"They welcomed our views and such meetings will be held in future too," the source said.
Wahidullah Ghazikhail of the Afghan Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ACSSR) said the meeting of counterterrorism and intelligence officials in Kabul was a "good step and should have been made long time ago."
"Government officials say that 22 foreign groups from regional countries operate here so you need to involve and exchange information with those countries whose nationals fight here," he told Arab News.
"Afghanistan has been a victim of terrorism and these countries should know that if Afghanistan is secure, safe and stable, they will also benefit from it as our country serves as a bridge between South and Central Asia."
US, Pakistani, Afghan counterterrorism officials draw joint strategy on addressing threats
US, Pakistani, Afghan counterterrorism officials draw joint strategy on addressing threats
- Officials met in Kabul earlier this week for the two-day "Regional Conference on Campaign Against Terrorism"
- No representatives from Afghanistan's major neighbors — India, Iran, China and Russia — were present during the meeting
Pakistan terms climate change, demographic pressures as ‘pressing existential risks’
- Pakistan has suffered frequent climate change-induced disasters, including floods this year that killed over 1,000
- Pakistan finmin highlights stabilization measures at Doha Forum, discusses economic cooperation with Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday described climate change and demographic pressures as “pressing existential risks” facing the country, calling for urgent climate financing.
The finance minister was speaking as a member of a high-level panel at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum, which is being held from Dec. 6–7 in the Qatari capital. Aurangzeb was invited as a speaker on the discussion titled: ‘Global Trade Tensions: Economic Impact and Policy Responses in MENA.’
“He reaffirmed that while Pakistan remained vigilant in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, the more pressing existential risks were climate change and demographic pressures,” the Finance Division said.
Pakistan has suffered repeated climate disasters in recent years, most notably the 2022 super-floods that submerged one-third of the country, displaced millions and caused an estimated $30 billion in losses.
This year’s floods killed over 1,000 people and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure. Scientists say Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Aurangzeb has previously said climate change and Pakistan’s fast-rising population are the only two factors that can hinder the South Asian country’s efforts to become a $3 trillion economy in the future.
The finance minister noted that this year’s floods in Pakistan had shaved at least 0.5 percent off GDP growth, calling for urgent climate financing and investment in resilient infrastructure.
When asked about Pakistan’s fiscal resilience and capability to absorb external shocks, Aurangzeb said Islamabad had rebuilt fiscal buffers. He pointed out that both the primary fiscal balance and current account had returned to surplus, supported significantly by strong remittance inflows of $18–20 billion annually from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.
Separately, Aurangzeb met his Qatari counterpart Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari to discuss bilateral cooperation.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic ties, particularly by maximizing opportunities created through the newly concluded GCC–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, expanding trade flows, and deepening energy cooperation, including long-term LNG collaboration,” the finance ministry said.
The two also discussed collaboration on digital infrastructure, skills development and regulatory reform. They agreed to establish structured mechanisms to continue joint work in trade diversification, technology, climate resilience, and investment facilitation, the finance ministry said.
