ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Afghanistan stepped up their contacts as a new push to reset their long troubled ties is making significant strides, officials said here as the foreign ministers from the two countries spoke on Sunday by phone.
The Interim Afghan government welcomed Pakistan’s move to appoint a full time Ambassador in Kabul, becoming the fourth country to do so.
China took the lead last year when it sent a full time ambassador to Kabul and accepted a Taliban Envoy in Beijing.
China has been instrumental in persuading Pakistan and Afghanistan to exchange ambassadors. The breakthrough came after the interim Taliban government took a series of steps to address Pakistan’s concerns over the cross border terrorist attacks.
Those steps encouraged Pakistan to increase interaction with the Afghan Taliban government. The decision was also significant since India was trying to exploit the strained relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan to its advantage.
Both leaders also reviewed implementation of decisions taken during DPM/FM’s visit to Kabul on 19 April 2025 and vowed to continue working together to establish mutual trust between the two brotherly nations.
Emphasizing the importance of Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project for regional connectivity, both leaders agreed to work closely for an early finalisation of the framework agreement, according to the statement.
The Afghan foreign minister is expected to visit Islamabad soon. This will be Muttaqi’s first visit to Pakistan in two years.
