Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi has requested the international community's cooperation with Afghanistan to prevent its young people from joining “sedition groups”.

Speaking at an event on Tuesday in Kabul, Hanafi also said that if the international community cooperates with Afghanistan in the fight against drugs and the implementation of development projects, the neighboring countries and the world will be freed from drugs.

He also demanded the release of Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves and stated that banking sanctions have caused traders to face challenges importing medicines.

He stated that four decades of war, climate change, natural disasters and forced deportation of migrants have resulted in Afghanistan needing help from the international community.

He added that even in remote areas, mothers die during childbirth due to the lack of healthcare centers.

India's foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which marked the first visit by New Delhi's top envoy to its neighbor in nearly a decade.

According to Indian media reports, no bilateral talks are planned and Jaishankar's visit will follow the SCO schedule.

"India remains actively engaged in the SCO format," India's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday morning, adding that Jaishankar will travel to the summit to "represent India at the meeting."

The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. A further 16 countries are affiliated as observers or "dialogue partners".

Afghanistan, which is an observer nation, has not been invited to attend the two-day event. 

With the SCO sometimes viewed as an alternative to the Western-dominated NATO military alliance, it has a mandate to discuss security. 

This summit is due to focus on trade, security, humanitarian and cultural issues.

The Islamic Emirate has meanwhile said it hopes to attend the next summit, especially as it has bilateral relations with many SCO member nations. 

The summit started on Tuesday and will wrap up on Wednesday. 

Pakistani authorities have taken stringent security measures in Islamabad for the duration of the summit and all roads leading to the capital have been closed.

The SCO member states will be represented by prime minister of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as First Vice President of Iran and External Affairs Minister of India.

Premier of State Council of China Li Qiang will represent his country.

The prime minister of Mongolia as Observer State and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan as Special Guest will also participate in the meeting.

Due to the SCO conference, hotels and business centers near Nur Khan Air Base and Islamabad Airport are closed.

Pakistan’s custom authorities claim to have seized a large cache of US-made weapons and ammunition worth approximately Rs35 million ($125,000) at the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. 

According to Pakistani security sources the weapons seized included M4 rifles and magazines. 

“The recent seizure of US-made weapons raises concerns about potential Taliban support for TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), either directly or indirectly, as a strategic move to pressure Pakistan or assert influence in the region,” the sources said.

Pakistan has continued to accuse Afghanistan of facilitating militants, a claim the Islamic Emirate has vehemently denied. The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said it will not allow anyone to threaten another country’s security from within Afghanistan.

“The rising activity of terrorist groups in Afghanistan risks destabilizing the entire region, potentially leading to increased violence, displacement, and economic hardship,” Arab News quoted one source as saying.

Pakistan has seen a rise in militant attacks, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the TTP and other militant groups, which have targeted security forces convoys and check posts, and carried out targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.

Arab News quoted another security source who warned: “Afghanistan’s situation has far-reaching implications for international security.

“The presence of terrorist groups and IAG’s (interim Afghan government) persistent denial of the reality could fuel global terrorism and threaten regional stability.”