Pakistan and EU pledge deeper joint action on terrorism at multilateral level

During the tenth round of the Pakistan-EU Bilateral Counterterrorism Dialogue in Islamabad, officials from both sides committed to stronger collaboration within multilateral institutions, notably the United Nations, to present a unified anti-terrorism stance. Dr Fareha Bugti, director general for counterterrorism, and EU special envoy Anna Strazska discussed recent regional developments, condemned the latest terrorist attacks in Pakistan, and highlighted the security risks posed by activities in Afghanistan.

The dialogue covered evolving threats such as the use of cyberspace, information channels and energy resources by extremist groups. Participants shared best-practice on preventing radicalisation, disrupting terrorist financing and countering online recruitment, and identified priority cooperation areas. They reaffirmed the need for sustained multilateralism and scheduled the next session in Brussels for the following year. The meeting coincided with a seminar by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, where officials warned of thousands of TTP fighters operating from Afghan territory.