Moscow – On the sidelines of the seventh Moscow Format consultations in Moscow, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, held a detailed meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The 90-minute engagement focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, transit, and regional security.
According to Ambassador Sadiq, the discussions “focused on advancing bilateral cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, including economic cooperation, trade, transit, and regional security.” He added that both sides “reaffirmed the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and agreed to explore practical measures to facilitate trade and transit, particularly through streamlined customs procedures and improved infrastructure links.”
Emphasizing the shared benefits of economic collaboration, Ambassador Sadiq stated, “Unlocking the potential of regional trade corridors will benefit the broader region’s economic stability and development.”
The two delegations also reviewed the regional security landscape, particularly the threat posed by terrorist groups and its implications for cross-border commerce. Both sides stressed the need for sustained dialogue and coordination to address mutual security concerns and ensure the safe movement of goods and people.
The meeting concluded with both Pakistan and Afghanistan reaffirming their commitment to maintaining high-level engagement to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.
Broader Diplomatic Context
Prior to the Moscow meeting, Ambassador Sadiq attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States’ Consultations on Afghanistan in Dushanbe. He said the meeting involved “substantive discussions on the growing threat of terrorism, the urgent need to address economic underdevelopment, and the worsening humanitarian crisis.” A collective regional response, he added, “remains essential.”
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts between Islamabad and Kabul, progress on key issues, particularly related to security, remains uncertain. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continues to strain relations between the two neighbors, despite recent efforts at dialogue, including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Kabul earlier this year.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Pak-Afghan Relations under the Shadow of Terrorism” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in May, Ambassador Sadiq said the “Afghan Taliban government could not resolve Pakistan’s concerns regarding the outlawed TTP till now.”
“It seems that there is a difference of opinion in Afghanistan on this issue,” he remarked, noting that the TTP problem “is not just a challenge for Pakistan, it is damaging Pak-Afghan relations. Many people in Afghanistan are aware of this fact.”
He recalled that following Pakistan’s 2014 military operation Zarb-i-Azb against the TTP and other militant groups, some fighters crossed into Afghanistan, while others went underground as sleeper cells. The issue, he noted, could have been addressed during the U.S.-Taliban Doha talks but was ultimately ignored.
“The Afghan Taliban are in control of every place in Afghan cities, villages, and towns, but it seems they are not tired of the war yet,” he said, highlighting that the interim Afghan government fears that taking action against the TTP could push the group toward joining Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K).
Ambassador Sadiq further revealed that instances exist where “suicide bombers are trained in camps and then sold to another group,” with some Afghan Taliban members reportedly joining TTP, IS-K, and other militant outfits.
Recalling past precedents, he noted that the former Afghan government under Ashraf Ghani had in 2019 recognized the TTP as a threat in its first National Security Policy and arrested several of its commanders. “Afghanistan had at that time reached the conclusion that the TTP is a threat to its security,” he said.
The latest engagement at the Moscow Format, therefore, comes amid persistent tensions over cross-border militancy and hopes of finding common ground on trade, transit, and counterterrorism through sustained dialogue and regional cooperation.
