The latest visit of Chinese Special Representative Yue Xiaoyong to Islamabad and Kabul has once again highlighted the central challenge confronting Afghanistan's neighbours. Despite periodic improvements in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, the core issue remains unresolved: whether Afghan territory will continue to serve as a base for terrorist groups targeting neighbouring states.

The discussions surrounding the visit reportedly focused on counterterrorism cooperation and regional stability. For Pakistan, the principal concern remains TTP. For Beijing, it is ETIM and other extremist groups capable of threatening Chinese interests. This convergence explains why Beijing continues to invest diplomatic effort in managing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. It also reflects a broader regional understanding that Afghanistan's future cannot be separated from the security concerns of its neighbours.

The timing is significant because it coincides with the recent Russia-Afghanistan military-technical cooperation agreement. Some commentators have portrayed the agreement as a major geopolitical realignment. The facts speak to the contrary. Russia’s special envoy and the Taliban defence minister have described the arrangement primarily in technical terms, involving maintenance and refurbishment of existing equipment rather than the creation of a new military partnership. More importantly, Russia's concerns regarding Afghanistan increasingly revolve around terrorism, instability and the threat posed by extremist groups operating across the wider region.

The real significance of these developments lies elsewhere. They illustrate how Afghanistan's neighbours increasingly share common concerns regarding security and terrorism, even when they differ on other geopolitical issues. Pakistan, China and Russia may not agree on everything, but all three have a strong interest in preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a source of regional instability. The United States is also broadly against terrorism.

For Pakistan, however, the Afghanistan question has acquired a deeply personal dimension.

Few countries have invested more in Afghanistan's stability than Pakistan. For more than four decades, Pakistan absorbed the consequences of war across the border. Millions of Afghan refugees found shelter, employment, education and........

© The Friday Times