Pakistani Foreign Minister Arrives In Kabul For High-Level Talks With Taliban

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Kabul early Saturday, leading a high-ranking delegation on his first official visit to Afghanistan since assuming office.

The visit, conducted at the invitation of the Taliban administration, marks a significant step in efforts to revitalise diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dar is accompanied by Mohammad Sadiq Khan, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, along with several senior officials. During his one-day visit, Dar is scheduled to hold talks with top Taliban leaders, including Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

According to a statement released on Friday by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions will address a broad spectrum of bilateral issues, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in areas such as security, trade, regional connectivity, and people-to-people relations.

This visit is the second by a Pakistani foreign minister since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The first was by then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in October 2021, followed by a visit from then-deputy foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar in November 2022.

Relations between Islamabad and the Taliban government have grown increasingly strained amid a surge in militant violence within Pakistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of providing safe haven to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it claims launches cross-border attacks from Afghan territory.

In the lead-up to Dar’s visit, Sadiq Khan travelled to Kabul on Wednesday, 16 April, where he met with Amir Khan Muttaqi and participated in the seventh round of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Coordination Committee meeting. The session was held behind closed doors.

Following the meeting, Sadiq Khan stated that both sides had agreed to activate bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to address ongoing challenges. He added that after a prolonged pause, high-level engagement between the two countries had resumed.

Citing diplomatic sources, The Express Tribune reported that the Taliban had taken initial steps to address Pakistan’s security concerns. For the first time, members of the Pakistani delegation felt that the Taliban leadership was treating the issue with greater seriousness.