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Pakistan and TTP were close to a deal, but Islamabad backed out, claims Afghan FM
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has claimed Pakistan and Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) had been close to striking a deal after most issues had been sorted out but that Islamabad backed out.
Muttaqi made these claims during a conversation with Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed in Tehran on the sidelines of the conference on Palestine.
Speaking to Pakistan’s The Express Tribune, Mushahid said he had a detailed discussion with Muttaqi in Tehran.
“I didn’t represent the government while talking to Mr Mutaqqi,” he said.
The focus of the discussion had been on the current state of relationship between Pakistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on the issue of the TTP, he said.
The Express Tribune reported that Muttaqi told the Pakistani politician that his country was keen to resolve all issues with Islamabad through dialogue.
Mushahid meanwhile said that “Mutaqqi made it clear that Afghanistan instinctively reacts negatively to pressure and rejects any intimidation or threats from anyone.”
He added: “Based on my conversation with Foreign Minister Mutaqqi, an important but disturbing takeaway is that there seems to be an absence of any high-level channel of communication between the top leadership in Islamabad & Kabul, hence serious issues get embroiled in recriminations, blame game & finger pointing, which is a major failure for relations amongst two close neighbours with shared interests.”
“In other words, our most important foreign policy relationship is now reduced to having a ‘dialogue of the deaf’! As Mr Mutaqqi told me: ‘please don’t overreact on incidents or accidents, as these do not emanate from any policy from our side, and suddenly these accidents become a pretext for closure of the border, as cross-border trade & commerce and human movement should be delinked from incidents or accidents.”
Mushahid meanwhile wrote in a post on X: “Great meeting over dinner with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, he’s warm & positive towards Pakistan & keen to settle contentious issues through dialogue; however, in his soft, low-key style, he made it clear: ‘Afghan people may be poor but they have pride & they don’t like being pressured or threatened by anyone, as the USSR & USA discovered to their lasting regret’!”
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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