Pakistan Pursues Diplomatic Path with Taliban Government Over Security, Trade Issues
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has decided to give diplomacy and dialogue another chance to address key concerns with Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government, particularly regarding terrorist sanctuaries and bilateral cooperation. The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday.
Key Developments:
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Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, briefed the leadership on his recent visit to Kabul, where he engaged with Afghan authorities.
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Discussions focused on peace and security, trade, economic cooperation, and people-to-people ties.
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Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement with Afghanistan to promote regional stability.
Security and Diplomatic Challenges:
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Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been strained due to the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Afghanistan.
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Pakistan has linked the rise in terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
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The Foreign Office’s statement on Ambassador Sadiq’s visit used a conciliatory tone, avoiding explicit mention of TTP or cross-border terrorism.
Economic and Trade Cooperation:
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Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to enhance trade and transit ties for mutual economic benefits.
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Ambassador Sadiq held talks with Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi, focusing on bilateral trade and connectivity.
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The leadership stressed the need to harness the full potential of regional trade and transit for economic growth.
Future Engagements:
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Both countries pledged to strengthen high-level dialogue to address security concerns and improve trade relations.
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The Pakistani Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with the discussions and directed officials to further consolidate ties with Kabul.
Pakistan’s decision to prioritize diplomacy over escalation suggests a renewed effort to engage with the Taliban-led Afghan government on security and economic fronts. However, concerns about terrorist sanctuaries remain a critical issue that could shape future relations between the two nations.
