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’!”