ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has stressed the importance of sustained dialogue with the interim Afghan government to address Islamabad’s concerns and promote bilateral relations.
A foreign ministry statement on Monday said that Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting on relations with Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq provided a detailed briefing on his recent visit to Kabul, highlighting key engagements with Afghan authorities and discussions on bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, Ishaq Dar emphasised the importance of sustained dialogue with the interim Afghan government to address Pakistan’s concerns and promote bilateral relations. The Foreign Secretary and other senior officials of the Foreign Ministry also attended the meeting.
It is pertinent to mention that Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq on Saturday met Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul to discuss bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.
During the meeting, bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were discussed. Both sides agreed to enhance high-level engagements and dialogue to further consolidate bilateral relations.
In a statement on X, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq said that he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continued engagement and mutually beneficial ties with Afghanistan.
According to Afghan media, foreign minister Muttaqi said that obstacles to trade and transit benefit neither side and stressed that unrelated issues should not be linked together.
The Pakistani envoy also said that ensuring security in Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and the region, pledging to ease the visa issuance process for Afghan citizens, Afghan media reported.
DPM/FM Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 chaired a meeting on relations with Afghanistan. Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, provided a detailed briefing on his recent visit to Kabul, highlighting key engagements with Afghan… pic.twitter.com/HYJTGenw61
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 24, 2025
Furthermore, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq also met with Acting Afghan Minister for Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi.
Trade between Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan resumed Wednesday at a key border post after an almost month-long closure.
The key trade and transit point was shut down following a dispute over Afghanistan’s construction of a border post.
According to the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, trade between the two countries amounted to $2.5 billion in 2010 but dropped to $1.6 billion before settling at slightly over $1.8 billion in 2022-23.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Munir Akram, informed the world community about terrorist organisations operating from Afghanistan.
Addressing the UN Security Council briefing on Afghanistan, Munir Akram said that the Afghan interim government has failed to address the menace of Afghanistan-based terrorist outfits, including Al-Qaida, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Munir Akram said that the TTP, a terrorist organisation operating from Afghanistan and comprising around 6,000 militants, has been launching attacks on Pakistan from safe havens along the Afghanistan border.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan confirmed that Pakistan’s deadline of March 31, for Afghan refugee repatriation remained unchanged.
