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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’!”
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday in Tehran during an official visit.
According to Iranian media reports, the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations, recent regional developments, and issues of mutual interest.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has inspected the construction work of the second lane of the Kabul–Jalalabad highway, Arg said on Thursday.
According to Arg’s statement , the Prime Minister visited the project site earlier in the day and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry of Public Works, project officials, and private contracting companies involved in the construction process. He also issued directives for the timely and high-quality completion of the project.
Akhund said the completion of the highway would significantly improve transportation facilities, transit operations, passenger movement, and contribute to economic growth in the surrounding regions.
Officials report that construction work on the second section of the project, covering 32 kilometers from the Kabul side, is currently about 20 percent complete.
Meanwhile, work on the first 22-kilometer section from the Nangarhar side is also ongoing. Surveying and design work for the third section is being carried out by a private company, with construction expected to begin after completion of the preparatory phase.
The Kabul–Jalalabad second-lane highway is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s key transport and economic infrastructure projects and is being developed in three phases.
Senior officials from the foreign ministries of Afghanistan and Russia held consultations in Kabul, focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening regional engagement involving Afghanistan.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the meeting was held between A.V. Pavlovsky, Director of the Second Asia Department of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Abdul Hai Qanit, Director of the Third Political Department at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two sides discussed cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fields, as well as ways to strengthen regional interaction with Afghanistan’s participation.
The consultations underscore ongoing diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Kabul as the two countries continue to explore closer cooperation on regional and bilateral issues.
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