Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has turned up the diplomatic pressure on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to demand accountability from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers over cross-border terrorism. Speaking at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Dar presented casualty figures that underscore the severity of the threat: more than 560 Pakistanis have been killed in over 2,000 terrorist incidents this year alone. Main Developments Dar explicitly named three terrorist groups—the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)—that he said continue to recruit, train, and launch attacks from Afghan territory. He added that Afghan nationals have been found involved in some of those attacks, linking the violence directly to the Taliban's failure to honour counterterrorism commitments. The foreign minister urged the SCO to call upon the Afghan Taliban to fulfil their obligations toward regional and global peace. Lasting stability, he argued, can only be achieved by eliminating terrorism. Dar also noted that Pakistan currently chairs the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) for 2025–26, giving Islamabad a platform to press the issue. Read also: RBI Intervention Shields Rupee from Oil, Hedging Pressures Background Pakistan's relationship with the Afghan Taliban has long been fraught, despite Islamabad's historical ties to the group. The TTP, a separate but allied militant network, has waged a deadly insurgency inside Pakistan, and its safe havens across the border have been a persistent source of tension. Dar's remarks reflect a shift toward public multilateral pressure rather than quiet diplomacy. On a separate track, Dar highlighted Pakistan's role in facilitating the Islamabad Talks between Iran and the United States in April 2026—the first high-level direct diplomatic engagement between the two countries in 47 years, which produced the Islamabad MoU. He called on the international community to build on that momentum while remaining vigilant against actors seeking to undermine regional stability. Why It Matters Dar's appeal to the SCO signals that Islamabad is running out of patience with the Taliban's inaction on terrorism. For regional powers like China, Russia, and Central Asian states that share the SCO's security concerns, the stability of Afghanistan directly affects trade routes, energy projects, and counterterrorism cooperation. If the SCO fails to hold the Taliban accountable, the risk of spillover violence—already evident in Pakistan's casualty toll—could destabilise the broader neighbourhood. The timing is also significant: Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State later this year and will host the SCO summit in 2027. Dar's forceful stance positions Islamabad to shape the organisation's agenda on Afghanistan. What's Next The SCO is expected to deliberate on Dar's call and may issue a joint statement on Afghanistan. Pakistan will continue to use its chairmanship of SCO-RATS to push for concrete action against the designated terrorist groups. Meanwhile, technical negotiations stemming from the Islamabad MoU between Iran and the US are ongoing, and Dar urged the international community to pursue a permanent settlement of that conflict—while warning that spoilers will try to reverse any progress.