Pak-Afghan diplomacy restarts after a year

ISLAMABAD: After a gap of nearly one year, diplomatic channels between Pakistan and Afghanistan have once again been re-opened, with a senior Pakistani envoy landing in Kabul on Monday evening.

Former ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq recently re-appointed Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, accompanied by senior officials from the Afghan Division at the Foreign Office who are part of his delegation, arrived in Kabul on Monday evening.

The Pakistani delegation were received by senior officials of the Interim Afghan government with Sadiq commenting on arrival, “I look forward to meaningful meetings with the Interim Afghan ministers to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and advance the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan”.

It was in September last year that the former Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Ali Khan Durrani had visited Kabul.

Mullah Shirin, Governor of Kandahar and deputy minister of Intelligence, who is Sadiq’s counterpart had visited Islamabad in January.

There was no announcement or any statements by the Foreign Office (FO) about the visit of Ambassador Sadiq to Kabul, with information about Sadiq’s meetings in Kabul being tweeted by him on X.

Earlier, after he took over as Special Representative, the Acting Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb had called on Sadiq where discussions focused on bilateral relations, trade issues, regional connectivity, and Afghan refugees.

Pakistan’s Charge d’ Affairs and Head of Mission in Kabul, Ubaid-Ur-Rehman Nizamani was also present in the meetings with Ambassador Sadiq.

The Pakistani delegation met with Afghan Acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

“During the meeting, a range of bilateral issues of common interest were discussed. Both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields to further enhance the fraternal relations between the two countries”, said Ambassador Sadiq.

He pointed out that wide ranging discussions were held with the Afghan officials and both sides agreed to work together to further strengthen bilateral cooperation as well as for peace and progress in the region.

Later, the visiting delegation met with Afghan traders and Chamber Representatives from across Afghanistan to discuss enhanced trade companies ties and fostering stronger bilateral relations.

Neither Ambassador Sadiq nor the Foreign Office mentioned whether the issue of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) based inside Afghanistan was raised in the recent Kabul talks. This is an important issue which has soured bilateral relations and Pakistan is continuing to pay a heavy price as a result of terror attacks by the TTP from inside Afghanistan. Pakistan says that it is engaged with Afghan authorities on this issue.

Pakistan’s position on the TTP as conveyed to Kabul has been very clear. Islamabad is against any talks with the militant group and time and again said that in their engagement with Kabul, they have been told to take strong action against the TTP and hand them over to Pakistan along with the TTP leadership in Afghanistan, while taking concrete and verifiable steps to prevent the use of its soil by terror entities against Pakistan.

Pakistan has also urged the interim Afghan government to take concrete action against these TTP elements, dismantle their networks and prevent terrorist attacks from across the border into Pakistan.