Malaysia and Pakistan have called for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability in the country, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday.
The joint statement followed a meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during Sharif’s official visit to Kuala Lumpur from October 5 to 7, 2025.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of continued engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to combat terrorism and prevent the use of Afghan territory against other nations.
They also underscored the need to protect the fundamental rights of the Afghan people and to support efforts toward a sustainable and inclusive future for the country.
“The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of ongoing humanitarian assistance and capacity-building programs for the Afghan people to promote better livelihoods and sustainable development,” the statement said.
The call by Malaysia and Pakistan comes as international pressure mounts on the Taliban to form a government that represents all ethnic and political groups and to lift restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education.
Both countries said they would continue working with the international community to ensure that Afghanistan remains stable, peaceful, and connected to regional development efforts.
The call comes amid growing international concern over the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights and their failure to form an inclusive government more than four years after seizing power in August 2021. The Taliban continue to bar women and girls from secondary and higher education and from most jobs, despite repeated appeals from Muslim-majority nations, including members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Pakistan, which shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan, has been a key regional interlocutor on Afghan affairs but also faces rising tensions with the Taliban over cross-border attacks by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Malaysia, meanwhile, has joined several Muslim-majority countries in urging engagement without recognition, calling for diplomacy that ties humanitarian and development support to progress on human rights and governance.
Both countries said they would continue to work with the international community to ensure that Afghanistan remains stable, peaceful, and connected to regional development efforts.
