PESHAWAR: The Afghan interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Islamabad soon for the first time in two years.
A diplomatic source said yesterday that Amir Khan Muttaqi will visit Pakistan soon, and the dates are being worked out.The Afghan side has already accepted the invitation, according to a source, and it will not be a one-day visit but a three-day visit in which all issues will be discussed. In April, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul, the first visit by a senior Pakistani official in three years, and the visit helped ease tensions between the two countries. Sources say that Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit is part of efforts to increase high-level exchanges, with both sides preparing a roadmap that includes a series of visits by officials and ministers from both sides.
The Afghan Taliban government’s recent actions against groups posing a threat to Pakistan and the statement of senior Taliban commander Saeedullah against those fighting abroad have shown that the Afghan Taliban’s perspective is changing. Sources have said that in return for these measures, Pakistan and China are ready to help Kabul economically and diplomatically. Pakistan had already indicated that it is ready to improve relations with Afghanistan by exchanging ambassadors, and this move would be considered a major diplomatic victory for the Taliban government.
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