ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday called for the development of an independent regional security architecture to promote peace and stability, saying the region must take greater responsibility for its own peace and security.
“I believe the time has come for this region to develop an independent security architecture to promote peace and stability, and take greater responsibility for our own regional peace and security,” he said while speaking as chief guest at an international conference titled “Pakistan’s Evolving Counterterrorism Landscape: TTP, Cross-Border Threats and Regional Security.”
The conference was organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
In his address, Senator Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism and promoting regional peace and security. Highlighting the human and economic sacrifices made by Pakistan, he said counterterrorism was not simply a policy debate in the country but a continuous story of sacrifice and valour.
Referring to his three visits to Afghanistan last year and his engagements with Afghan Taliban authorities, the Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan had made only one demand: visible, verifiable and irreversible actions against TTP and other associated terrorist groups, as well as their sanctuaries on Afghan soil.
He urged the Afghan authorities to fulfil their counterterrorism commitments made at Doha and to Pakistan. He also stressed the need for stronger regional and international cooperation, intelligence-sharing and collective action to address cross-border terrorist threats.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, in his keynote address, highlighted what he called the immense sacrifices Pakistan had made over the last four decades in the war against terrorism. He urged the Afghan authorities to prevent terrorist groups from operating from their soil, saying Pakistan remained committed to regional peace and stability, but its desire for peace should not be mistaken for weakness.
The first working session was moderated by Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad. Ambassador Abrar Hussain, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, highlighted militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan and growing tactical convergence between the TTP and BLA. He called for coordinated diplomatic engagement with Kabul involving China, Russia and Iran.
Giorgio Cafiero, CEO and founder of Gulf State Analytics, USA, observed that Gulf states sought Pakistan’s stability while maintaining engagement with Kabul, although their diplomatic channels had yet to translate into meaningful leverage over the Taliban. Naseem Zehra, anchor and security analyst, stressed that counterterrorism must address recruitment drivers through legal accountability, constitutional political space and civilian-led prevention.
The second working session, moderated by Dr Shabana Fayyaz, featured Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special representative on Afghanistan, who called for sustained dialogue with Afghanistan, effective border management and protection of legitimate trade.
Professor Joseph Siracusa, Professor of Human Security and International Diplomacy at the Royal Melbourne, Australia, advocated intelligence-led counterterrorism, lawful accountability, disengagement pathways and greater international recognition of Pakistan’s sacrifices.
Ambassador James Watt CVO, partner at The Ambassador Partnership LLP, London, emphasised the rule of law, state sovereignty and regional cooperation. He highlighted emerging security threats and the potential of Pakistan’s defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to support strategic coordination.
The third working session was moderated by Dr Salma Malik. Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, former foreign secretary of Pakistan, called for stronger international cooperation and effective implementation of UN sanctions to address terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Major General Zahid Mehmood, Principal of the NUST Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, cited 225 militant attacks in Pakistan in September 2026, underscoring the importance of border management and regional cooperation. He clarified that Pakistan’s actions targeted terrorist infrastructure, not the Afghan people.
Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, former assistant secretary of state for political military affairs, USA, advocated pragmatic US-Pakistan counterterrorism cooperation, regional coordination and separating shared security interests from broader geopolitical rivalries.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman of the Board of Governors of ISSI, called for a comprehensive counterterrorism framework to address the TTP and BLA threats. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace through intelligence-sharing, coordinated action, respect for sovereignty and rejection of terrorism as an instrument of strategic leverage.
The conference brought together senior policymakers, diplomats, security experts and academics from Pakistan and abroad to discuss the evolving counterterrorism landscape in the region, the threat posed by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan to Pakistan and the broader region, and the need for closer and sustained cooperation among regional and international partners to comprehensively counter the growing threat.
