“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.”This was stated by Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, while speaking as Chief Guest at an International Conference titled “Pakistan’s Evolving Counterterrorism Landscape: TTP, Cross-Border Threats and Regional Security,” organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) today.
In his address as Chief Guest, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism and promoting regional peace and security. Highlighting the immense human and economic sacrifices made by Pakistan, he stated that counter terrorism is just not simply a policy debate in Pakistan, but a continuous story of sacrifice and valour. Recalling his three visits to Afghanistan last year and engagements with Afghan Taliban authorities, he stated that Pakistan had made only one demand; to take visible, verifiable and irreversible actions against TTP and other associated terrorist groups, and their sanctuaries on Afghan soil. He urged the Afghan authorities to fulfil their counterterrorism commitments made at Doha and to Pakistan. Concluding, he stressed the need for stronger regional and international cooperation, intelligence-sharing and collective action to address cross-border terrorist threats. Mr. Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, in his keynote address, highlighted the immense sacrifices that Pakistan has made over the last four decades in the war against terrorism. He urged the Afghan authorities to prevent terrorist groups from operating on their soil, stressing that Pakistan remained committed to regional peace and stability, but its desire for peace should not be mistaken for weakness.In working Session I, 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, calling for coordinated diplomatic engagement with Kabul involving China, Russia and Iran. Giorgio Cafiero, CEO & Founder, Gulf State Analytics, USA observed that Gulf states seek Pakistan’s stability while maintaining engagement with Kabul, although their diplomatic channels have yet to translate into meaningful leverage over the Taliban.
Naseem Zehra, Anchor & Security Analyst stressed that counterterrorism must address recruitment drivers through legal accountability, constitutional political space, and civilian-led prevention. In working Session II, moderated by Dr. Shabana Fayyaz, Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Former Special Representative on Afghanistan 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, The Ambassador Partnership LLP, London emphasised the rule of law, state sovereignty, and regional cooperation, highlighting emerging security threats and the potential of Pakistan’s defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to support strategic coordination.In working session III, 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, NUST Institute of Peace & Conflict Studies cited 225 militant attacks in Pakistan in September 2026, underscoring the importance of border management and regional cooperation, while clarifying that Pakistan’s actions target 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, ISSI, called for a comprehensive counterterrorism framework to address the TTP and BLA threats, reaffirming 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 extensively debate on the evolving counter terrorism landscape in the region, threat posed by terrorist groups based in Afghanistan to Pakistan and the broader region and the need for closer and sustained cooperation amongst the regional and international partners to comprehensively counter the growing threat.
