Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrived in Kabul on Thursday along with intelligence agency ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to hold talks with the Taliban-led interim government of Afghanistan. According to the Foreign Office, during the day-long visit, the Pakistani delegation held talks with Amir Khan Muttaki, the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan and will meet the leadership of the interim government along with other Afghan leaders in Kabul. Muttaki welcomed the Pakistani delegation at the Kabul International Airport.
“The dialogue between the two sides will cover the full spectrum of bilateral relations and will focus on ways and means to deepen cooperation in many different areas,” the Foreign Office said. It said the foreign minister will also share Pakistan’s perspective on issues of regional peace and stability.
As a close fraternity, Pakistan has always stood by Afghanistan. Keeps border crossing points open for trade and pedestrian crossings under COVID protocols.
Facilitated visa arrangements for Afghan nationals and cross-border procedures for trade and cargo have been established, while in recent months Pakistan has also provided humanitarian aid and aid in the form of food and medicines.
According to the statement, the foreign minister’s visit reflects Pakistan’s consistent policy of supporting the fraternal Afghan people, deepening bilateral trade and economic ties, and facilitating people-to-people contacts.
The visit follows a recent meeting of officials from China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Russia in Moscow and comes ahead of an upcoming meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Russia’s neighbors in Tehran next week. The Taliban’s interim government has failed to gain worldwide recognition.
On 4 September, Lieutenant General Hameed suddenly reached Kabul, as the Taliban struggled to finalize and establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan. Three days after his visit, the Taliban announced an interim government.
The Taliban is believed to be dominated by Pakistan and played a key role in its peace talks with the US, which resulted in the 2020 Doha Agreement.
Pakistan was often accused of providing military aid to the Taliban by the Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani, although Islamabad has always denied this allegation.
.