Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, says that bilateral relations between his country and Afghanistan have improved.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Mr. Dar referred to his two recent visits to Kabul and said that all decisions made during those trips have been implemented.
“I think bilateral relations have improved a lot. As you know, after four years, I myself visited Afghanistan for a day on April 19. We engaged, we discussed trade, economy, refugees, and political matters, you name it. Whatever promises we made or decisions we took on April 19 were implemented by June 30,” Dar said.
In another part of his remarks, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister reiterated that his country’s only demand from Afghanistan is to rein in the TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) and several other groups.
Dar stressed that failure to resolve this issue is unacceptable to Islamabad under any circumstances.
He stated: “Our only ask and it remains the same is that they should handle and control the terrorist elements: TTP, BLA (the Baloch Liberation Army), and similar groups.”
On the other hand, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has accused Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, of deliberately sabotaging relations with Afghanistan.
Imran Khan, currently imprisoned, has proposed that the government send a delegation to Afghanistan led by Mehmood Khan Achakzai to address the current tensions through dialogue.
He stated: “Now, for the establishment of peace in Afghanistan and the tribal regions, three stakeholders must necessarily be brought together. First, the people of Pakistan’s tribal areas; second, the Afghan government; and third, the Afghan people. No operation can succeed without the cooperation of these three stakeholders, nor can any sustainable solution be found… Our allies, under the leadership of Mahmood Khan Achakzai, should take a peace delegation to Afghanistan and seek solutions through dialogue.”
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on these remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister. However, earlier, the Defense Minister of the Islamic Emirate had responded to Pakistan’s claim regarding the presence of TTP in Afghanistan, stating that Pakistan is trying to deflect attention from its own security failures.
