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Stanikzai calls on Pakistan envoy to ‘restore relations’
Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai told Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires to Afghanistan Asad Abbas on Thursday that Pakistani officials sometimes make statements about the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) that causes “regret”.
At a meeting in Kabul, Stanikzai told Abbas that “both sides should pay serious attention to it,” a statement issued by the ministry said, adding that Abbas promised to solve existing problems.
“It is the responsibility of the embassy to restore the relations between the two countries,” Abbas said.
This comes after Stanekzai called on Pakistan last month to stop interfering in Afghanistan’s internal issues.
Referring to remarks by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif claiming a presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Stanekzai said that the Islamic Emirate denies and condemns the claims and that it will also not allow anyone to make such statements toward Afghanistan.
“We strongly condemned the Pakistan Prime Minister’s action. We don’t allow anyone to speak against the Islamic Emirate … If Pakistan has an economic problem and is placed on a black list of the IMF, no one takes their call to give them money. If you (Pakistan) is not given a loan, it is your problem–find your way through any way you can, but don’t talk about the dignity of the people of Afghanistan and don’t defame Afghanistan just to earn some money,” he said.
Earlier, Sharif told the 77th General Assembly of the UN that “Pakistan shares the key concern of the international community regarding the threat posed by the major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan especially ISIS-K and TTP, as well as al-Qaeda, ETIM and IMU.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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