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ISLAMABAD: Islamabad, Beijing and Kabul have pledged to strengthen joint efforts against “terrorism,” deepen cooperation in several sectors and extend a multi-billion-dollar energy and infrastructure project to Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign office said on Wednesday following talks between the three sides in Kabul.

The trilateral dialogue between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan was institutionalized in 2017. It aims to promote political trust, counterterrorism coordination and economic integration between the three countries.

The talks helped ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, who have been at odds with each other amid a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. There has been a thaw in relations after both sides agreed to elevate diplomatic ties in May to the ambassadorial level. China brokered the deal in an informal meeting in Beijing to improve relations between the two neighbors, under which it was also agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

“The Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue was held on 20 August 2025 in Kabul,” Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson said in a statement issued after the meeting, which was attended by the foreign ministers of the three countries.

“The three sides committed to strengthen joint efforts against terrorism,” the statement said, adding that the dialogue focused on political, economic and security cooperation between the three.

“They [Pakistan, China & Afghanistan] also reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration in trade, transit, regional development, health, education, culture, and combating drug trafficking as well as extension of CPEC to Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said.

CPEC is a multi-billion-dollar project that aims to connect China and Pakistan through a network of roads, railways, and energy pipelines.

Dar held a bilateral meeting with his Afghan counterpart, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, on the sidelines of the dialogue. Both welcomed the recent elevation of diplomatic ties between the two countries from chargé d’affaires to the ambassadorial level, a separate statement from the foreign office said.

“Dar acknowledged the encouraging progress in political and commercial ties, while expressing progress in the security domain, especially in counterterrorism, continues to lag behind,” the foreign office said.

Dar highlighted a recent surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan, saying the attacks were perpetrated by groups operating from Afghan soil.

He urged Afghan authorities to take “concrete and verifiable measures” against entities such as the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)/Majeed Brigade.

Islamabad alleges these militant groups, which carry out attacks against Pakistani law enforcers, operate from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Kabul denies the accusations.

“The Afghan Acting Foreign Minister reaffirmed Afghanistan’s commitment to ensuring its territory is not used by any terrorist group against Pakistan or other nations,” the statement added.

‘VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT’

Foreign affairs experts said the trilateral dialogue in Kabul was a “positive development” that could help address Pakistan and China’s shared concerns over “terrorism.”

“This is a very positive development as Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan sat together and agreed to work jointly to rid the region of terrorist elements,” Naghmana Hashmi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to China, told Arab News.

She said the commitment expressed by the three neighboring countries to extend CPEC to Afghanistan was also an encouraging sign that would help the project achieve its true potential.

“It is a natural extension, since without peace in Afghanistan and smooth transit routes through its territory, CPEC cannot fully deliver for Pakistan, which needs access to Central Asian states and beyond,” she added.

Former Pakistani diplomat Asif Durrani said the outcome of the meeting would become evident in the coming weeks, depending on whether cross-border “terrorism” incidents take place or not.

“It is an ongoing process and some improvement has taken place, so we remain cautiously optimistic and keep our fingers crossed,” he said.

Durrani said growing engagements at the leadership level were encouraging for both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“It is important that both countries keep talking, as seen in the case of Pakistan and India, where dialogue stopped and unresolved issues created a visible regional impact,” he added.

The trilateral talks took place as Pakistan presses ahead with a deportation drive against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghans, which it launched in 2023 citing security fears and illegal migration.

The process has continued in phases, with Islamabad now planning to expel documented Afghan refugees after Sept. 1, having refused to extend their stay permits.

ISLAMABAD: Heavy rains, flash floods, landslides and house collapses have killed at least 385 people across Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province since Aug. 15, with Buner district alone accounting for 228 deaths, according to disaster management officials. 

Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts in the mountainous northwest have brought destruction since Friday in the worst spell of this year’s monsoon season, which began in late June.

Nationwide, monsoon rains and floods have killed at least 707 people and injured 967 since Jun. 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Most of the deaths have been caused by flash floods, house collapses, landslides, and electrocutions triggered by heavy rains.

“Administrations of affected districts [in KP] have been directed to accelerate relief activities and provide immediate assistance to victims,” the latest report by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for KP said.

The report added that out of the 385 people killed in the province, 299 were men, 52 women, and 34 children, while 182 people had been injured.

A total of 1,398 houses had been damaged due to rains and flash floods since last week, with 1,030 houses partially damaged and 368 completely destroyed.

Buner, to the north, received more than 150 mm of rain within an hour triggered by a cloudburst on Friday morning, killing close to 230 people, the single most destructive event in this monsoon season.

“The most affected district is Buner, where the death toll has reached 228, followed by Swabi with 41 fatalities,” the report said.

Flood relief operations in places like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are notoriously difficult because of the province’s mountainous terrain, scattered valleys, and fragile road networks that are often the first to be washed away by landslides and flash floods. Many affected villages are accessible only by narrow link roads, suspension bridges, or dirt tracks that become impassable after heavy rain. Limited air support, damaged communications, and the sheer distance between communities slow down rescue efforts, while cultural and security sensitivities in some districts further complicate the ability of aid agencies to respond quickly.

Separately, the NDMA issued a travel advisory for northern Pakistan, particularly Gilgit-Baltistan, warning that landslides and flash floods had damaged or blocked several key roads and bridges.

Routes between Skardu, Shigar, Kharmang, and Kargil were reported cut off, while access to parts of Hunza, Gilgit, and Astore was disrupted. Authorities said limited traffic was moving on the Jaglot–Skardu road after damage to the Astak Bridge, while other roads including those linking Ghizer, Shandur, Khalkti, Dain, and Ishkoman remained closed. 

Some access points, including the Sarmo Bridge in Ghanche and Bagheecha Road in Skardu, have since been restored, but NDMA urged travelers to avoid damaged or unsafe routes and follow instructions from local authorities.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by federal ministers and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Muneer, visited Swat, Buner, Shangla, and Swabi districts to review the flood situation.

According to a report in state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Sharif said illegal encroachments, the timber mafia, and mining and crushing activities, especially in waterways, had contributed greatly to the loss of lives and damages. 

Environmental experts have long warned that riverbed mining, unregulated logging, and construction in natural flood channels weaken ecosystems, block drainage routes, and intensify the impact of heavy rains. Since Friday, experts have widely said poor regulation and corruption, as much as extreme weather, were aggravating Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate disasters.

Annual monsoon rains are vital for agriculture, food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Pakistan. However, in recent years they have caused intense flooding and landslides amid shifting weather patterns that scientists attribute to global climate change.

Pakistan is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. Devastating floods in 2022, triggered by unusually heavy rains and the melting of glaciers, killed over 1,700 people and inflicted losses exceeding $30 billion, according to estimates.