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Pakistani FM meets with deputy prime minister, reiterates need to avoid ‘mistakes of the past’
Visiting Pakistani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said in a meeting with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) deputy prime minister Abdul Salam Hanafi on Thursday that opportunities should be used and that the two countries should “not be involved in the mistakes of the past”.
According to a statement issued by Hanafi’s office on Tuesday night, Khar met with the deputy prime minister and with Shahabuddin Delawar, the minister of mines and petroleum, as well as a number of other IEA officials.
Hanafi pointed out at the meeting that “Afghanistan and Pakistan have long-standing historical, religious and cultural relations and we want to further expand relations between the two countries.”
He said Afghanistan is the bridge between Central and South Asia and “we are ready to cooperate for the implementation of big projects such as TAPI, TAP, CASA-1000 and the Peshawar-Kabul-Tirmaz railway line”.
He also said: “We are trying to mechanize the coal trade, and for this purpose, a competent inter-ministerial joint committee has been established. Also, the National Committee of Ports has been assigned to provide facilities in the field of trade and transit.”
Hanafi encouraged Pakistani investors to invest in Afghanistan in mining, energy and agriculture sectors and added that the Islamic Emirate wants Pakistan’s cooperation in the fields of visa facilitation for Afghans and the release of Afghan prisoners.
Meanwhile, Khar said: “We don’t know of countries that have a lot in common like Afghanistan and Pakistan,” adding that after 40 years, many opportunities have been provided in Afghanistan – opportunities beneficial to both countries.
Emphasizing that Pakistan respects the territorial integrity of Afghanistan, Khar stated “we should not be involved in the mistakes of the past. We must create a good environment for expanding business relations and people-to-people contact and turn challenges into opportunities.”
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, also said: “We respect the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and since security has been ensured in Afghanistan, we should work and invest more for the welfare and comfort of the citizens of the two countries and focus on solving the problems.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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