China, Pakistan Voice Concerns Over Presence Of Militant Groups In Afghanistan

China and Pakistan have expressed concern about militant threats from terror groups such as Treek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with Yue Xiaoyong, China’s Special Representative for Afghanistan in Islamabad. They discussed regional security and geopolitical developments.

Sadiq Khan stated on social media platform X that both sides are worried about the presence of these militant groups in Afghanistan. He added that they agreed to hold trilateral and multilateral meetings on Afghanistan.

Although China does not officially recognise the Taliban, it maintains close political and economic ties with the group. However, Beijing remains concerned about separatist Uyghur militants operating from Afghanistan.

China’s UN ambassador previously warned that the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) poses a direct security threat. The Taliban has assured China that Afghanistan will not be used as a base for Uyghur separatist activities.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering TTP fighters and has urged the group to prevent cross-border terrorist activities. Recently, Pakistan’s UN representative stated that the Taliban has failed to control ISIS-Khorasan, which has become a major security challenge for its rule.