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’!”
Despite the narrow victory, Argentina were made to work hard for every opportunity as Cape Verde’s spirited performance earned widespread admiration, even in defeat.
Defending champions Argentina needed an extra-time own goal to edge past a resilient Cape Verde side 3-2 and book their place in the World Cup last 16.
Playing in their first-ever World Cup, Cape Verde twice came from behind in a thrilling contest before 64,478 fans at a hot and humid stadium in Miami, pushing the three-time world champions to the limit.
The decisive moment came six minutes into the second half of extra time when Lionel Messi delivered a corner that Cristian Romero headed toward goal. The ball deflected off Cape Verde defender Diney Borges’ arm and into the net for the winning goal, setting up a last-16 clash with Egypt in Atlanta next Tuesday.
Messi had opened the scoring in the 29th minute with his seventh goal of the tournament after controlling a long pass from Lisandro Martinez before firing into the roof of the net.
Cape Verde responded just before the hour mark when captain Ryan Mendes found midfielder Deroy Duarte, who calmly controlled the ball before beating Emiliano Martinez to level the score at 1-1.
Argentina regained the lead early in extra time through a powerful strike from Lisandro Martinez, but Cape Verde refused to surrender. Left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral curled a superb effort into the top corner to make it 2-2 and force another dramatic twist.
Following the own goal, Cape Verde nearly equalised again, but Emiliano Martinez produced an outstanding save to deny Lopes Cabral’s free kick in the closing minutes.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised his players for their determination after his 100th match in charge.
“The match was incredibly tough. You always have to take the positive, and it’s that this team never gives up,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who was overseeing his 100th match in charge of the Albiceleste.
“I want to congratulate our opponents. Today they showed they are a great team. When it is said there are no easy matches in the World Cup, it’s true.”
Although eliminated, Cape Verde impressed throughout the tournament. Ranked 67th in the world before the competition, the tournament debutants reached the knockout stage after holding Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to draws in the group phase.
Coach Bubista said his team had made the nation proud despite the defeat.
Cape Verde frustrated Argentina for long periods with disciplined defending and confident possession, while Kevin Pina stood out with an impressive display in midfield.
Despite the narrow victory, Argentina were made to work hard for every opportunity as Cape Verde’s spirited performance earned widespread admiration, even in defeat.
The FIFA World Cup Round of 16 begins today (Saturday) with Canada taking on Morocco at 09:30pm Kabul time.
Fans can tune in to all the World Cup matches to watch all the thrills and spills unfold live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN).
Gaziz Akbasov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Kabul, says his country’s position on recognizing Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate will be guided by decisions of the United Nations Security Council.
In an exclusive interview with Ariana News, Akbasov said relations between Kazakhstan and the Islamic Emirate are currently based on mutual respect and economic cooperation, adding that Astana is working to further expand ties with Afghanistan.
He said Kazakhstan supports regular high-level dialogue and remains engaged with Afghanistan through its diplomatic missions in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.
The ambassador described Afghanistan’s security situation as relatively stable and stressed that security plays a key role in strengthening bilateral relations and ensuring regional stability, particularly in Central Asia.
Akbassov also said no threats against the interests of regional countries, including Pakistan, have been observed originating from Afghan territory.
“Relations between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan continue without formal recognition of the current government. Our main policy remains within the framework of United Nations Security Council decisions,” he said.
On human rights, the Kazakh envoy said his country follows a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, including Afghanistan.
Commenting on the international community’s approach toward the Islamic Emirate, Akbassov said sanctions are ineffective and that dialogue and engagement should be prioritized.
He added that expanding economic and trade relations with Afghanistan remains Astana’s priority, noting that political trust already exists between the two sides.
Akbassov further said Afghanistan’s geographic position creates significant opportunities for regional cooperation that could help improve the country’s economy and strengthen regional stability.
According to him, trade volume between Kabul and Astana has reached around $540 million in recent years, with both sides aiming to increase it to $3 billion in the future.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Economic Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual cooperation.
According to a statement from Baradar’s office, the Afghan official extended condolences to the Iranian government and people over the death of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before holding talks on strengthening ties between the two neighboring countries.
Baradar said Afghanistan and Iran share deep historical, cultural, and economic links and have significant common interests in various fields. He also reiterated the Islamic Emirate’s position on the recent US-Israeli attacks on Iran, describing them as illegitimate and stating that the Afghan government had condemned the strikes.
For his part, Pezeshkian highlighted the close and friendly relations between the two nations and said both governments should make full use of existing opportunities for the benefit of their peoples.
The Iranian president described the expansion of relations with Afghanistan as a key priority for his administration and stressed the importance of utilizing all available capacities to deepen bilateral cooperation.
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