Afghanistan welcomes upgraded diplomatic ties with neighbouring Pakistan

Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with Afghanistan have improved, indicating an easing of tensions between its southern neighbors.

Ishaq Dar, the head of state for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, announced on Friday that the charge d’affaires in Kabul would be elevated to the position of ambassador, with the latter designation followed by an update to its representation in Islamabad.

In absence of the ambassador, a charge d’affaires serves as the ambassador’s chief of mission.

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X on Saturday, “This increase in the diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan opens the door to enhanced bilateral cooperation in a number of fields.”

The Government of Pakistan’s decision to raise the level of its diplomatic presence in Kabul to an ambassadorial level is welcomed by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Afghan Islamic Emirate will reciprocally raise the… image. twitter.com/ZY1S5TexAR

According to Zia Ahmad Takal, the ministry’s spokesman, Amir Khan Muttaqi is scheduled to visit Pakistan “in the coming days.”

Since their return to power in 2021, only a select few nations, including China, have agreed to host Taliban government ambassadors, and none of them have yet officially recognized the administration.

Pakistan, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan are the only other nations to design an ambassador to Kabul. Days after removing the Taliban’s “terrorist” designation, Russia announced last month that it would also approve a Taliban ambassador.

Security concerns and Islamabad’s campaign to expel tens of thousands of Afghan refugees have caused relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan to have been strained for the past few months.

According to Islamabad, armed groups operating inside Pakistan use Afghan soil. Kabul refutes the claim, claiming that this kind of domestic violence is unacceptable in Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Dar claimed on Friday that since his recent trip to Kabul, relations between the two countries have improved. He also met Wang Yi and Muttaqi during a trilateral meeting last week in Beijing.