Latest news with #TTP
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Afghanistan, Pakistan upgrade ties amid diplomatic thaw
Afghanistan welcomed the decision to upgrade ties with Pakistan to the ambassador's level, Kabul's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's office said on Saturday. "This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains," the Afghan Foreign Ministry posted on X. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the... — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Afghanistan (@MoFA_Afg) May 31, 2025 Relations between the two neighbors have long been strained over Islamabad's accusations that Kabul harbors Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan's attempts to deport tens of thousands of Afghans have also contributed to bilateral tensions. On Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the charge d'affaires in Kabul would be elevated to the rank of ambassador. He also said that their relations are "on [a] positive trajectory" since he visited Afghanistan in April. 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 Later, Kabul announced that it would reciprocate the move. The decision came after Muttaqi met with Dar and their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a trilateral meeting in Beijing earlier this month. After their talks, Wang expressed Beijing's willingness "to continue to assist with improving Afghanistan-Pakistan ties." Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan "in the coming days," ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal told AFP news agency. Since Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, only a handful of countries have agreed to host Taliban government ambassadors. No country has officially recognized the administration. Edited by: Wesley Dockery
Arab News
10 hours ago
- Business
- Arab News
Kabul, Islamabad to appoint envoys in apparent thaw in relations
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan's foreign ministry said on Saturday it would appoint an ambassador to Pakistan after Islamabad announced its decision to upgrade diplomatic relations by appointing an envoy to Kabul, in an apparent warming of ties between the two neighbors. The development comes amid prolonged tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad 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 and insisted that Pakistan's security challenges are its internal issue. Relations further deteriorated after Islamabad launched in late 2023 a nationwide deportation drive targeting undocumented foreigners, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals. Pakistani authorities maintained that some of them were linked to a spate of militant attacks in the country. Both countries have sought to improve their strained relations in recent months and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in April led a delegation to Kabul and later participated in trilateral talks with Chinese and Afghan foreign ministers in Beijing earlier this month. 'This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan & Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains,' the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement. It came hours after Dar said on X that Pakistan-Afghanistan relations were on a positive trajectory after his 'very productive visit' to Kabul last month. 'I am confident this step would further contribute toward enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, CT [counterterrorism] & trade areas and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries,' he said, referring to Pakistan's appointment of an ambassador to Kabul. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have yet to announce names of their respective envoys. Earlier this month, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to Afghanistan 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 their diplomatic ties. 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.
India Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
China steps in to stabilise Pakistan-Afghanistan ties amid rising security threats
In a quiet yet decisive move, China is emerging as the most influential external player working to de-escalate tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. As Islamabad grapples with a resurgence of cross-border attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Beijing has assumed the role of mediator, urging both sides to reset their fractured relationship for the sake of regional diplomatic interventionadvertisementThe turning point came during a recent trilateral meeting of foreign ministers from China, Pakistan and Afghanistan in Beijing. More than a diplomatic formality, the meeting helped revive stalled talks and catalyse a breakthrough in relations. With vested interests in securing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and maintaining peace along its western borders, China used its influence to urge the Afghan Taliban to make tangible commitments to address Pakistan's security concerns. One of Beijing's key successes was fostering an agreement for enhanced diplomatic engagement, marked by Pakistan appointing an ambassador to Kabul for the first time since the Taliban takeover in significantly, Chinese officials reportedly conveyed a firm message to the Afghan leadership: reining in anti-Pakistan militant groups is non-negotiable if Kabul seeks continued economic and diplomatic shift: From "Jihad" to "Fasaad"advertisementIn a rare and carefully worded public statement, senior Taliban commander Saeedullah Saeed issued a warning to militant factions in the region. He stated that any act of jihad carried out without the explicit authorisation of the Amir (supreme leader) is not only illegitimate but also constitutes fasaad (corruption) under Islamic law.'Only the Amir of the state has the authority to declare jihad — not individuals or groups,' Saeed asserted, emphasising that unauthorized violence stems from ego or group loyalty rather than genuine interpret this as a direct rebuke to TTP fighters and similar groups operating from Afghan territory. It also subtly acknowledges Chinese concerns, as ongoing instability threatens Beijing's multibillion-dollar investments in South and Central China stepped in?Securing CPEC & BRI: The $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has repeatedly come under threat from militant violence. Stabilising Pakistan's western border is key to protecting China's economic Zone Strategy: Sharing a narrow border with Afghanistan, China aims to prevent the spillover of extremist ideology into its restive Xinjiang region. A stable Afghanistan, supported by Pakistan, serves as a strategic Leverage: With the U.S. and Western allies largely disengaged from Afghanistan, China sees an opportunity to fill the diplomatic vacuum and position itself as a regional payoff for PakistanFor Pakistan, China's involvement is a diplomatic asset. It provides international legitimacy in its campaign against cross-border terrorism and heightens pressure on the Taliban to crack down on TTP sanctuaries. The Taliban's recent statements and willingness to re-engage diplomatically suggest that this pressure is beginning to yield now hopes to translate these developments into concrete security outcomes — including a measurable decline in militant attacks and enhanced intelligence cooperation from InMust Watch
Al Jazeera
a day 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.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Pakistan announces to upgrade ties with Afghanistan, appoint Ambassador to Kabul
Pakistan on Friday announced to upgrade its diplomatic ties with Afghanistan and appoint an Ambassador to the country, a major indicator of improvement in ties between the two neighbours. Pakistan had tacitly applauded the capture of Kabul by Taliban in 2021 with the hope that the regime would address its security concerns but it proved otherwise and cross border attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants increased manifolds. The ties plummeted as a result and Islamabad began accusing Kabul of providing sanctuaries to the TTP rebels while demanding action against them. The breakthrough in ties came through the trilateral mechanism of talks involving Afghanistan, China and Pakistan when the foreign ministers of the three nations met this month in Beijing. It is believed that China played a key role in sorting out differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan and the two agreed to upgrade diplomatic presence in their capitals. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the formal announcement, saying that the Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on a positive trajectory after his visit to Kabul on April 19. '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,' Dar said in a statement on X. 'I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, counterterrorism and trade areas and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries.' In a related development, Afghan interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to travel to Islamabad soon on a first visit in two years, highlighting the growing high-level exchanges between the two neighbours in recent weeks, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. 'He will visit Pakistan soon. Dates are being worked out,' said a diplomatic source on Thursday. The source said the Afghan side has already accepted the invitation. According to a source, this will not be a daylong trip but a three-day trip where a whole gamut of relations would be discussed. In April, Foreign Minister Dar travelled to Kabul in a first visit by any Pakistani minister in three years. The visit helped ease tensions between the two countries. The sources said Muttaqi's visit was part of efforts to increase high-level exchanges. The two sides drew up a roadmap envisaging a series of visits by officials and ministers from both sides when a Pakistani delegation led by its special envoy Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq visited Kabul in the third week of March. The Afghan Taliban government's recent actions against groups posing a threat to Pakistan played a key role in the increased interaction between the two sides. In another major sign suggesting a shift in its approach was a statement by senior Afghan Taliban commander Saeedullah Saeed who, on Wednesday, warned militant factions against unauthorised jihad, particularly in Pakistan. Speaking at a police passing-out ceremony, Saeed said that fighting in any country, including Pakistan, without the explicit command of the Amir is not permissible. 'Joining various groups to wage jihad abroad does not make one a true mujahid,' he stated. 'Only the Amir of the state has the authority to declare jihad — not individuals or groups.' Saeed emphasised that those carrying out attacks independently or moving between regions to conduct operations cannot be classified as legitimate fighters under Islamic law. 'Jihad based on personal ego or group loyalty is considered 'fasad' (corruption), not legitimate resistance,' he added. He further stated that the Afghan leadership prohibited unauthorised entry into Pakistan, and any such act constitutes disobedience. 'Groups attacking in the name of jihad are defying both Shariah and the authority of the Afghan Emirate,' he said. His public statement is seen as a result of recent efforts both by Pakistan and China urging the Kabul administration to change its approach towards these groups. Sources said Pakistan would continue to encourage the Taliban government to carry out such measures. In return for these steps, Pakistan and China are willing to support Kabul both economically and diplomatically.
