— Both sides emphasise bringing facilities for commercial traffic on border
— Kandahar Governor receives Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires Nizamani
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Saturday agreed to continue working together in building on fraternal bilateral relations.
“Expanding cooperation in connectivity, trade, security, counter-terrorism and people-to-people contacts is a top priority for Pakistan,” the foreign minister posted on X, after he received a congratulatory call from the Afghan minister.
A statement posted on X by the deputy spokesperson at the Afghan foreign ministry, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, said FM Muttaqi hoped that Dar’s assumption of office would have a “positive and constructive role in strengthening the relations” between the two neighbouring countries.
“The region is increasing its positive interactions day by day and the practical work of major infrastructure projects is starting at the regional level and we are expecting to take a constructive part in Pakistan,” the statement quoted the Afghan foreign minister as saying. He also invited Dar to visit Afghanistan.
The statement said that both sides emphasised bringing facilities for passengers, patients and commercial traffic on the Pak, Afghan border and eliminating existing problems.
The past week, Kandahar Governor Mullah Muhammad Shirin Akhund received Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires (Cd’A) and head of mission in Kabul, Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani, in Kandahar, the spiritual centre of the Afghan Taliban on Monday.
The Pakistani envoy travelled to Kandahar to meet with Mullah Shirin, a close confidant of the Taliban supreme leader, amid a tense relationship between the two uneasy neighbours.
The senior Afghan Taliban leader had expressed the hope that Pakistan’s new government would have cordial relations with Kabul.
“We discussed matters of common interest and agreed to advance Pakistan-Afghanistan relations in all mutually beneficial areas,” Ambassador Nizamani had told media.
Last week, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, had asked the United Nations Security Council to urge the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan to terminate their relationship with the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan group.
At the same time, Ambassador Akram had said that the international community must help millions of destitute Afghans “through the provision of unconditional humanitarian assistance”.
There have been efforts in recent days by both sides to restore high level contacts between the two countries in order to resolve the issues, undermining their relationship.
Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires (Cd’A) and head of mission in Kabul, Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani over the past few days held a series of meetings with the Taliban leadership for this purpose.
He travelled to Kandahar, the spiritual centre of the Afghan Taliban, to meet Taliban’ chief’s key aide. Nizamani also held talks with the Afghan Foreign Minister this week in Kabul.
Those contacts led to the telephonic conversation between the two foreign ministers.
