ISLAMABAD – The Taliban-led Afghan government’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is likely to visit Pakistan this week to discuss the bilateral relations, local media reported on Monday.
Report said that the Afghan official would visit Pakistan from Nov 11-12. This would be the first visit of the Afghanistan foreign minister since the Taliban regained power in Kabul in mid-August.
The visit also comes after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi toured Afghanistan last week and invited his counterpart to Islamabad.
Pakistan has not officially recognised the Taliban government, however, it allowed Taliban to send diplomats to run Afghan embassy and its consulates.
Earlier in the day, Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan called on the Afghan foreign minister and discussed measures for strengthening bilateral trade, transit, movement of people and humanitarian engagement.
Last month, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Afghanistan and met interim Afghanistan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund and conveyed Pakistan’s commitment to extending humanitarian assistance to its Afghan brothers.
In the meeting with Akhund, issues of mutual interest were discussed. The foreign minister said Pakistan wanted lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He mentioned in this regard several steps by the government including visa facilities for Afghan citizens, especially traders, and the establishment of new border points to facilitate movement.
Qureshi said Pakistan, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s neighbours, was committed to playing a constructive role for peace and stability in the region.
The interim prime minister received Qureshi at the Arg Presidential Office, where they had a meeting in the presence of the Afghan leadership, Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan said.
The discussions focused on facilitating people-to-people interaction, trade, transit, and connectivity between two brotherly nations, ?the ambassador said. Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki was also present.
