Muttaqi due in Islamabad today with high-level delegation

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi is scheduled to arrive today in Islamabad with a high-level delegation.

The delegation will include the Acting Afghan Minister for Commerce and Industry Haji Nooruddin Azizi, and senior officials from the Afghan ministries of foreign affairs, transport, and trade, Pakistan Foreign Office statement said on Tuesday.

Apart from holding bilateral meetings, the acting Afghan foreign minister will also participate in the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue on May 6, 2023. The statement added.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang will also participate in the Trilateral Foreign Minister’s Dialogue.

The visit of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister is a continuation of Pakistan’s political engagement process with Afghanistan, which, inter alia, included a visit of Pakistan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs to Kabul on November 29, 2022, and visit of a high-level delegation led by the Defence Minister of Pakistan to Kabul on February 22, 2023. Foreign Office said.

During the visit, the two sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the political, economic, trade, connectivity, peace and security, and education domains.

Pakistan is desirous of a peaceful, prosperous, stable and connected Afghanistan and reiterates its commitment to pursue continuous and practical engagement with the Interim Afghan Government, the statement added.

Earlier the United Nations has allowed Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to visit Islamabad this week to meet his Pakistani and Chinese counterparts,

A panel of the United Nations Security Council gave the go-ahead to Muttaqi’s trip in response to Islamabad’s request, says Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram.

State-run APP news agency quoted Akram as saying: “The Security Council’s Taliban sanction committee approved our request this (Monday) afternoon.”

Under Security Council sanctions, the acting Afghan foreign minister is subjected to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.

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