Kabul: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to work closely on regional security and border concerns after a high-level diplomatic meeting in Kabul.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Afghanistan’s Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on Thursday. The meeting happened on the sidelines of the framework signing for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Corridor—an ambitious project aimed at connecting Central Asia to Pakistani seaports via Afghanistan.
A meeting between the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 and Mr. Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Interior Minister of Afghanistan took place on the sidelines of the signing ceremony for the Framework Agreement on Joint Feasibility Study… pic.twitter.com/nqoSZzTj6S
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 17, 2025
During the talks, both countries stressed the need for stronger cooperation to fight cross-border threats and maintain lasting peace. Dar emphasized that resolving border issues and improving security would help boost trade, investment, and regional development.
Dar also held a separate meeting with Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Both leaders agreed to keep the diplomatic momentum going. They discussed expanding their Strategic Engagement Plan to include deeper security cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful conflict resolution.
The visit also marked progress in the UAP rail project as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan signed the Naibabad-Kharlachi rail link agreement. Dar called it a “transformational step” for regional connectivity and praised the previous PDM government for laying its foundation.