Pakistan and nearby countries worry about increasing militant threats from Afghanistan

At the Quadrilateral Group meeting, China, Iran, and Russia dispatched delegates along with Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, to talk about the changing security landscape in Afghanistan. In an official statement issued on Saturday, the participants expressed worries about the increasing threat posed by militants from the post-war nation.

The Quadrilateral Group was created to coordinate activities addressing security, migration, and economic concerns in the region following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Its main objective is to work with Afghanistan to promote peace and stability in the region. The most recent meeting was held in New York on the fringes of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, while the previous one was held in Uzbekistan last year.

“The meeting’s participants raised concerns over security challenges originating from Afghanistan, particularly terrorism, and urged the Afghan interim government to combat terrorist groups and prevent its territory from being used against neighbors or the wider region,” the statement read.

The group also underscored the importance of continued engagement with Afghanistan and maintaining close coordination among the four nations to promote regional stability and address Afghanistan’s multifaceted challenges.

Among the participants, Pakistan has been the most vocal about rising militancy, attributing the surge in violence to armed groups allegedly operating from Afghan soil.