After Shehbaz Sharif was elected to head Pakistan’s new government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Monday called on Islamabad to improve relations with Kabul.

IEA’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, expressed hope that with the formation of a new government in Pakistan, the country’s mistreatment of Afghan immigrants will end and political, economic and commercial relations between the two countries will expand.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stands by Pakistan as a brother country. It is expected from Pakistan that the new government will take good steps in improving the relations between the two countries, especially in the field of trade, immigrants and some other issues that Afghans were already facing. It should adopt a good policy in this regard. It is what we expect and we also hope that the future government will maintain its relations with Afghanistan very responsibly,” Mujahid said.

It is the second time that Shehbaz Sharif has been elected prime minister of Pakistan.

Sharif, 72, won a parliamentary vote for premier, resuming the role he had held until August when parliament was dissolved ahead of last month’s elections. Pakistan has had a caretaker government since.

He was named by his party and coalition allies to head Pakistan, despite his elder brother Nawaz Sharif winning a seat in the assembly and being the favorite to be sworn in again.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have had many ups and downs, and recently, the caretaker government of Pakistan deported hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees, pushing relations between Kabul and Islamabad to a new low.

“With the change of prime ministers and parliaments in Pakistan, no change will occur in Pakistan’s foreign policy, because Pakistan’s foreign policy is provided by the Pakistan Army… Pakistan’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan has always involved violence,” said Khalil Ahmed Nadem, a political expert.

Meanwhile, Pakistani media have reported that talks between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad will resume with the help of the Islamic Emirate.