Daily Times

Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Khan Durrani visited Kabul on Thursday and held talks with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister, according an Afghan foreign ministry statement.

Durrani, along with a high-level delegation, met acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on an unannounced visit. The visit comes amid tensions between the neighbouring countries over an uptick in terrorist attacks by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in the country. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Afghan Deputy Spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said it was decided during the meeting that joint committees should solve security issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan while major routes should not be closed due to security and political problems.

“Pakistani special envoy and Afghan foreign minister underlined the need to take urgent measures for the solution to the problems and to prevent untoward incidents in future,” he said. “Being neighbours and Muslim nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan must avoid issuing statements against each that create a gap between the two sides,” the Afghan spokesman added.

He quoted the Afghan foreign minister as saying that his government would not allow anyone to spoil relations between the two countries, adding that the policy of the Islamic Emirate was based on goodwill and sincerity. Meanwhile, Durrani called for both countries’ cooperation in connection to the security problems, according to the Afghan spokesman.

He said Pakistan would find a solution to the cross-border movement of passengers, bilateral trade and transit. Pakistan, Durrani was quoted as saying, was ready for cooperation with Afghanistan in many areas. He informed the Afghan side that Islamabad would resume scholarships for the Afghan students. The statement said both sides discussed security problems and arrests of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, treatment of Afghans at Chaman-Spin Boldak border and transit trade. Pakistan is yet to issue a statement regarding the visit.