Pakistan to designate an ambassador to neighbouring Taliban-run Afghanistan
Pakistan has announced it will designate an ambassador to Afghanistan, the first since the Taliban re-entered and captured Kabul in 2021, in a move aimed at improving previously strained relations between the neighbouring countries.
In a statement on Friday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have improved since his visit to Kabul in April. 'To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its charge d'affaires in Kabul to the level of ambassador,' he said.
Dar's announcement comes a week after he met his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, alongside their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a trilateral meeting in Beijing.
Dar expressed hope that the decision would strengthen economic cooperation, boost bilateral trade and enhance joint efforts to combat terrorism.
Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025. To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé…
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 30, 2025Tensions between the two countries have long been strained over Pakistan's accusations that Kabul provides a haven to the Pakistan Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban.
TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power four years ago.
There was no immediate comment from Kabul on the latest development. However, Pakistan had earlier signalled that the two sides were considering an upgrade in diplomatic relations.
Another critical dynamic is the presence of Afghan refugees and migrants in Pakistan. Islamabad has ramped up forced mass deportation, with some tens of thousands having crossed the border, in April, back to an uncertain future in Afghanistan, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported.
Nearly three million Afghans in Pakistan, many who have been there for decades as wars plagued their nation, face deportation after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced in October a three-phase plan to send them back to their home country.
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban currently have embassies in each other's capitals, but they are led by charges d'affaires, a lower level than an ambassador.
Pakistan has become the fourth country to designate an ambassador to Kabul, after China, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
No country has formally recognised the Taliban administration, with foreign powers saying they will not do so until it changes course on women's rights.
Diplomats and experts say, however, that having an ambassador officially present their credentials represents a step towards recognition of the Taliban's government.
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