Latest news with #PakistanAfghanistanRelations
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
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.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan's deputy PM says Islamabad to appoint envoy to Kabul, signaling thaw in ties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday Islamabad would upgrade diplomatic relations with neighboring Afghanistan by appointing an ambassador in Kabul in a bid to deepen engagement between the two neighboring countries. The move comes amid long-running tensions, with Pakistan repeatedly accusing the Afghan Taliban administration of 'facilitating' cross-border attacks by militant groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Kabul has denied the allegations, insisting Pakistan's security challenges are its internal issue. Relations have further deteriorated in recent years after Islamabad launched a nationwide deportation drive targeting undocumented foreigners, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals. Pakistani authorities also maintained that some of them were linked to a spate of militant attacks in the country including suicide bombings. Despite the strains, both countries have sought to improve ties in recent months. Dar led a delegation to Kabul in April and later participated in trilateral talks involving Chinese and Afghan foreign ministers in Beijing earlier this month. 'Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on [a] positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025,' he said in a post on social media platform X. 'To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé d'Affaires in Kabul to the level of Ambassador.' 'I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, CT [counterterrorism] & trade areas and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries,' he added. 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, 2025 The announcement comes after the recent trilateral meeting in Beijing, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said both Pakistan and Afghanistan had 'clearly expressed' a willingness to elevate diplomatic ties, according to an official statement. At the same meeting, the three countries also agreed to expand cooperation under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. The BRI — China's multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure plan — aims to build land and maritime trade routes linking Asia with Africa and Europe. CPEC, considered the flagship of the initiative, includes over $60 billion in Chinese investments in Pakistan's energy, transport, and industrial sectors. It remains unclear who will be Pakistan's new envoy to Kabul or when the appointment will take effect.
