Daily Times

Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has called for a “sustained dialogue” between Pakistan and Afghanistan to address a surge in militancy and other issues, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Monday. The call for the dialogue followed a recent three-day visit to Afghanistan by Pakistan’s special representative, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq Khan, to discuss bilateral relations with authorities in Kabul. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations have soured lately due to security, political and border issues, with Islamabad accusing the Taliban-led Afghan government of sheltering anti-Pakistan militants behind cross-border attacks. Kabul denies these claims. Tensions escalated this month after a train hijacking by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which killed over 60 passengers, security personnel and militants. Pakistan said BLA fighters remained in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan while holding the passengers hostage for a day. “DPM [Dar] emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue with the interim Afghan government to address Pakistan’s concerns and promote bilateral relations,” the Pakistan foreign ministry said in a statement. During the meeting, Ambassador Sadiq gave a detailed briefing to Dar regarding his recent visit to Kabul and highlighted his key engagements with Afghan authorities regarding bilateral cooperation.