Pakistan urges stable Afghanistan while pushing trade links and railway project

At an informal Economic Cooperation Organization ministers' gathering in New York, Pakistan's foreign minister Ishaq Dar called for an Afghanistan that is peaceful, stable and economically integrated with the region. He linked this vision to Pakistan's foreign-policy goals of peace, development and regional convergence. Dar warned that extremist groups using Afghan territory endanger regional security and development.

He also emphasized Islamabad's willingness to provide trade and transit concessions and to fast-track the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project. Political analyst Mohammad Dawood Shiraz accused Pakistan of hypocrisy, suggesting it profits from Western intelligence contracts. The Islamic Emirate rejected claims that it permits cross-border attacks, and security analyst Asadullah Nadim urged Afghan authorities to prove otherwise or seek a UN technical review. Economists noted that the railway could benefit Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan if realized.