Pakistan calls for bloc with Afghanistan, China and Bangladesh

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.