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Three senior US officials to visit Islamabad, talks on Afghanistan expected
A senior US official dealing with refugee issues will begin a four-day trip to Islamabad from Monday in the first of a series of visits by American officials amid deteriorating ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Pakistani media reported.
Julieta Valls Noyes, the US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, arrives in Islamabad Monday and will leave on Thursday, Express Tribune reported.
On December 7, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West will arrive in Islamabad. After his visit, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Horst, who is responsible for Pakistan, will arrive on December 9, according to the newspaper.
The flurry of visits by American officials come against the backdrop of Pakistan’s move to expel all illegal Afghans, which has created tension with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). Tensions were already high over what Islamabad claims is the IEA providing havens for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“Pakistan and the United States continue to hold consultations on a range of issues. To advance these consultations, exchange of visits also takes place,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement while giving context of the visits.
“These visits are part of ongoing dialogue with the US on a range of issues, including, but not limited to, the situation in Afghanistan,” she added.
A statement issued by the US State Department said that Assistant Secretary of State Noyes will travel to Islamabad for a December 4-7 visit during which he would meet “senior government officials, as well as non-governmental and international organization partners”.
“In Islamabad, Assistant Secretary Noyes will meet with senior government officials, as well as non-governmental and international organization partners, to discuss shared efforts to protect vulnerable individuals and accelerate safe, efficient relocation and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. immigration pipeline,” the statement said.
More than 400,000 Afghans have returned home since Pakistan announced plans to deport illegal refugees.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has said that the issue of refugees should not be used as a tool of pressure and their rights should not be violated.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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