Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that his country must move forward by forming blocs with Afghanistan, China, and Bangladesh.

In his address at the All Pakistan Chambers Presidents’ Conference, Dar mentioned that he had traveled to Kabul and met with officials of the Islamic Emirate following the tensions in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations in recent years.

The Pakistani official also noted that he met with Afghan officials for the second time during his recent visit to China.

During his recent visit to Beijing, Ishaq Dar attended a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.

He told a news conference on Thursday that Pakistan, Afghanistan and China agreed at the meeting not to allow use of their territory against each other.

Afghanistan and China have jointly pledged that terrorist groups will not be allowed to operate in these countries, Dar said.

He, however, emphasized that the problem of terrorism is not something that can be ended with the push of a button, but that its solution requires time.

The Islamic Emirate has provided 200 million AFN in cash assistance to traders in Kandahar whose goods were destroyed in a fire last year.

The fire occurred in the auto parts market of Spin Boldak district, Kandahar, burning down 250 shops and causing losses estimated at 550 million AFN to the traders.

Nooruddin Turabi, acting head of the National Disaster Management Authority, stated that the total damages amount to approximately 550 million AFN.

Meanwhile, the affected traders have expressed satisfaction upon receiving the assistance, calling it an important step toward reviving their businesses.

Meanwhile, officials from the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce are urging the Islamic Emirate to implement a comprehensive development plan in the district to prevent future fires.

Sediq Mohmand, head of the Kandahar Chamber of Commerce, said: “Our request to the government is to implement a master plan in Spin Boldak district so that commercial, residential, and market areas can be clearly and properly organized.”

According to Kandahar firefighting officials, there were 126 fire incidents in the province last year. They reported that their efforts in controlling the fires prevented damages worth 2.31 billion AFN.

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, announced on Thursday that China has expressed interest in financing the Trans-Afghan Railway project, which aims to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan through Afghanistan.

Speaking at a press conference, Dar said that during his recent visit to Beijing, he held discussions with Chinese and Afghan officials regarding the railway project. He emphasized that the time has come to move forward with its implementation.

He also stated that during a trilateral meeting in Beijing, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China agreed that none of the three countries would allow their territory to be used against one another.

According to Dar, both Afghanistan and China jointly committed to preventing terrorist groups from operating within their borders.

Addressing regional security concerns, Dar noted that terrorism is not an issue that can be resolved with the push of a button, but one that requires time and continued cooperation.