Taliban want the Shehbaz government to make amends
According to persons acquainted with the incident, the Afghan Taliban leadership has contacted the newly elected government in Pakistan in an attempt to start a dialogue about problems that might endanger their bilateral relationship.
Since months, there has been tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s reluctance to neutralize the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is prohibited. Before the elections, Shehbaz Sharif was leading the PDM administration, and tensions were running high.
Relationship worsened under the caretaker arrangement as Pakistan began to expel Afghans without proper documentation at that time, increased border controls, and required a visa for travel between the two neighbors.
Pakistan essentially broke off formal ties with the Taliban government, but they continued to communicate on a personal level. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), paid a visit as part of unofficial channels to resolve disputes between the two nations.
Nonetheless, the Taliban administration desired to resume formal channels of contact with Pakistan after the election and establishment of the new administration.
In order to do this, Obaidur Rahman Nizamani, Pakistan acting ambassador to Kabul, visited Haibatullah Akhundzada, the top adviser to the Taliban commander, in Kandahar earlier this week.
For the first time since he escaped an attempted murder in the Afghan capital last year, Nizamani left Kabul. Pakistan removed him and didn’t send him back until the Taliban gave their senior diplomat in Afghanistan assurances on impenetrable security.
Talks between Nizamani and Mullah Shirin Akhund, a senior adviser to the Taliban chief executive, took place in Kandahar. As a member of the Taliban government committee that mediated negotiations between Pakistan and the TTP, Shirin was a prominent Taliban leader.
On Monday, March 11 in Kandahar, the media center office in Kandahar announced on its social media platform X that Nizamani and Mullah Akhund had a meeting.
The Afghan media reports that Mullah Akhund congratulated the Pakistani embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires on the country’s newfound democracy and expressed hope that the country’s new government would support both the Islamic nation of Afghanistan and its neighbor, Pakistan.
“Securing interests, creating a secure environment in the future, and implementing programs based on the policies of the two countries,” was stressed by the Kandahar governor.
According to sources, the commander of the Taliban wanted the Pakistani ambassador to convey to the new administration the importance of resuming diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The Pakistani envoy gave him his word that he would deliver the word and that he would be visiting Islamabad shortly for this reason.
According to sources, the Taliban government was eager to have talks to settle all disputes. Kabul continues to maintain that Pakistan must engage in discussion to find a solution to the TTP issue.
The interim administration is also requesting that Pakistan reevaluate its plan for removing Afghans without documentation and reconsider its choice to implement a one-document system.
The foreign secretary had previously briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz on the main issues, such as their relationship with Afghanistan.
The foreign office also told Ishaq Dar, the recently appointed foreign minister, that relations with Afghanistan were in jeopardy because Kabul was unwilling to change its methods on the TTP.
Foreign Office, however, feels that in order to resolve the standoff, Pakistan needs to look into diplomatic alternatives.
The prime minister will announce the foreign policy guidelines and the connection with Afghanistan after consulting with all relevant parties.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.
