ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri on Sunday said that Pakistan was closely following the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and was extending assistance to facilitate visa or arrival of the diplomatic community, media and others.
Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in a statement explained that the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was extending necessary assistance to Pakistanis, Afghan nationals and the diplomatic and international community for consular work and coordination of Pakistan International Airlines flights.
A special inter-ministerial cell has been established in the Ministry of Interior to facilitate visa/arrival matters for diplomatic personnel, UN agencies, international organisations, media and others.
In this regard, it emerged that Afghan Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rehman Rahmani and other officials of the government left for Islamabad, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.
“It is said that the Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga Mir Rehman Rahmani, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq and a number of other leaders and officials left for Islamabad on a PIA flight,” the news agency claimed on Twitter.
The reason for their visit to Islamabad so far has not been clarified; however, signs point towards dialogue to discuss the rapidly changing situation within Afghanistan. Moreover, it has been speculated that Pakistan will host a conference for neighbouring countries to discuss the volatile Afghan situation.
“We are planning to host foreign ministers of the key regional countries on the Afghan situation,” a senior Pakistani official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
It is likely that Russia, China, Iran and other stakeholders including Turkey would attend the conference, but no official announcement has been made as of the time of filing.
However, the spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to support the efforts for a political settlement.
“We hope all Afghan sides will work together to resolve this internal political crisis,” he added. Pakistan has always stood for peace in Afghanistan, he said, adding that Islamabad wanted the security situation not to deteriorate further.
Furthermore, he stated that Pakistan would not be shutting down its embassy in spite of the advancement of the Taliban entering the Afghanistan capital after taking all the major cities, including Jalalabad and Mazar-i-Sharif, across the country.
With additional input from APP
