Tajikistan and Pakistan have agreed to deepen cooperation against transnational crime, cybercrime, terrorism, and drug trafficking following talks between their interior ministers on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Bishkek on 5 June. The two countries also expressed concern over security threats they say originate from Afghanistan.
During the meeting, Tajik Interior Minister Ramazon Rahimzoda and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Syed Muhsin Reza Naqvi pledged to expand cooperation within the SCO framework and strengthen coordination on law enforcement and information security.
According to both sides, terrorist camps and growing drug production in Afghanistan remain major threats to regional security. The ministers said that around 25 terrorist organisations are active in Afghanistan and warned that their presence could undermine regional stability.
Tajikistan has repeatedly raised concerns about groups such as Ansarullah and ISIS-Khorasan operating near its border, while Pakistan accuses the Taliban authorities of providing sanctuary to militants from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Taliban rejected the allegations. Chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid described claims about foreign armed groups operating in Afghanistan as “baseless” and accused other countries of blaming Afghanistan for their own security problems.
Separately, Rahimzoda met Iranian Interior Minister Iskandar Mumini, with both sides reaffirming cooperation against terrorism, extremism, organised crime, and cybercrime. The Tajik minister also held talks with security officials from Russia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, China, and Interpol.
The SCO, founded in 2001, brings together 10 member states and places security cooperation, particularly against terrorism and drug trafficking, at the centre of its agenda. Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, several neighbouring countries have voiced concerns about militant activity on Afghan territory.
The agreements reached in Bishkek indicate that Tajikistan and Pakistan are likely to intensify security coordination through the SCO as regional governments seek to contain terrorism, extremism, and narcotics trafficking linked to instability in Afghanistan.
