In courtesy call, Muttaqi invites Dar to Kabul

Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi invited his Pakistani counterpart to visit Kabul in order to break the stalemate in the relations as he spoke to Ishaq Dar on telephone on Saturday.

This was the first high-level contact between the two countries in months and came on a day when another terrorist attack left seven Pakistani troops, including two officers, martyred in North Waziristan.

In a statement posted on X, Foreign Minister Dar said he was delighted to receive the congratulatory call from Muttaqi. He said both of them 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.

The positive sentiments reflected in Dar’s message do not reflect the ground situation as tensions continue to remain high due to the Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to act against banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Saturday’s attack in Mir Ali town of North Waziristan is likely to further heighten tensions as the group operating from Afghanistan took responsibility of the multiple suicide bombings at a security checkpoint.

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. 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 improving facilities for passengers, patients and commercial traffic on the Durand Line and eliminating existing problems.

The statement did not mention if Dar accepted the invitation. The Pakistani handout also did not talk about Muttaqi’s invitation to Dar.

Read also: Afghan Taliban nudge TTP on talks with Islamabad

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.