Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan reach commerce and tension-reduction agreement.

Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed government have agreed to boost trade and lower tensions along their border. Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi struck the deal in Islamabad. The agreement is designed to improve bilateral trade, combat terrorism and boost bilateral ties. Pakistan has expressed concern over a surge of attacks by the TTP and has demanded the Taliban do more to rein in the group. China has also played a role in the resumption of Saudi-Iran diplomatic ties.

CPEC, also known as the One Road Project, is a global endeavor aimed at reconstituting the ancient Silk Road and linking China to all corners of Asia. China has been demanding more security from Pakistan for its nationals since 2021, when a suicide bomber killed nine Chinese and four Pakistanis in an attack in Pakistan’s volatile northwest. Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have had ups and downs in the past year, with Pakistan shutting the main Afghan-Pakistan border crossing at Torkham in February. The Afghan Taliban has banned girls from education beyond the sixth grade and barred women from most jobs and public life.