Foreign Office (FO) said that Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar met for political consultations on Tuesday in Kabul.
Khar is in Kabul, heading a high-level group of Pakistani government representatives who will spend the day meeting with Afghan government representatives. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off a months-long truce with Pakistan, which prompted the bilateral discussions. Pakistani dignitaries rarely spend the night in Kabul. The FO stated in a statement that the discussion covered “a range of bilateral issues of common interest, including cooperation in education, health, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people connections and socio-economic initiatives.” Mohammad Sadiq, the ambassador’s special assistant to the prime minister for Afghanistan, also attended the meeting.
During Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Hina Khar’s visit to Kabul, the two sides are likely to discuss the TTP ceasefire issue. Ms Khar will express her concerns regarding attacks on Pakistani security forces coming from Afghanistan and the need to control people’s access to and from trade areas due to increased trade. enhanced infrastructure and clearance procedures on the Afghan side, and assurance of Pakistan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
