Islamabad — Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to travel to Kabul on August 20 to participate in a high-level trilateral meeting with his Chinese and Afghan counterparts, marking the first formal engagement of its kind since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The talks will bring together Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Dar, and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The agenda, according to diplomatic sources, will focus on enhancing counterterrorism cooperation, advancing regional stability initiatives, and exploring the integration of Afghanistan into the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The proposed CPEC expansion, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has been under discussion for several years. Islamabad and Beijing view Afghanistan’s participation as a potential driver of economic opportunities and stability in the conflict-affected country, while Kabul sees it as a step toward reducing its economic isolation.
Counterterrorism is expected to feature prominently in the Kabul talks. Pakistan has long raised concerns over the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries across the border, while China remains focused on curbing activities of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). The trilateral forum, established in 2017, has been seen as a platform for coordinated action against such threats and for deepening economic and political ties.
The meeting comes after a previously planned visit by Muttaqi to Islamabad earlier this month was cancelled due to what both countries described as “technical” reasons. Reports later indicated that the United Nations Security Council did not authorise the travel, as Muttaqi remains on the UN sanctions list.
Following the Kabul session, the Chinese foreign minister is expected to travel to Pakistan on August 21 for further bilateral discussions. Observers say the August 20 meeting could signal a renewed push by all three sides to balance security imperatives with economic integration in a volatile regional environment.
