Doha (National Times) Leaders of the Afghanistan interim government held a meeting with Pakistani officials in Doha on Monday in what was seen as an effort to ease tension following the announcement of a fresh operation against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which security officials insist operate from Afghan soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relations between the two neighbouring countries have lately become strained, largely because of the TTP but also due to frequent border skirmishes. Last week, the Afghan defense ministry\u2019s spokesman angrily reacted to Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif\u2019s remarks when he said that Islamabad could hit TTP hideouts in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an apparent move to improve relations between Kabul and Islamabad, the Pakistani mission in Qatar hosted a dinner for the Afghan delegation on the sidelines of the Doha-III conference to discuss bilateral issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zabihullah Mujahid, leader of the Taliban delegation at the Doha conference, described his meeting with Pakistani diplomats as \u201cgood\u201d and expressed the hope for developing \u201cpositive relations\u201d with Pakistan.
\u201cWe had a good meeting with the special representative of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Durrani, and the ambassador and consuls of the country in Qatar,\u201d Mujahid wrote on the X platform on Tuesday. \u201cI am grateful for their hospitality and hope for good and positive relations for both countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his part, Durrani said both sides discussed the \u201cDoha-III, bilateral and regional issues\u201d during the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan\u2019s ambassador in Qatar, Muhemmed Aejaz, who hosted the meeting at his residence, said \u201cBoth [sides] remain neighbors and brothers and have a lot in common, including a strong desire for regional peace and security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his speech at the opening session of the Doha-111 conference on June 30, Durrani raised the issue of militancy and urged the Afghan interim government to take action against the TTP and other groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistani and Taliban officials also had another interaction in Doha at a quadrilateral meeting along with Uzbekistan and Qatar officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn the sidelines of Doha-III, a quadrilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Qatar reviewed the Trans-Afghan Railway project to connect Uzbekistan and Pakistan via Afghanistan. The project will effectively connect South & Central Asia,\u201d Ambassador Durrani wrote on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mujahid, who attended the quadrilateral meeting said, \u201cAll sides called for early start and completion of the Trans-Afghan Railway project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the meeting, Durrani called for enhanced international engagement with the Afghan interim government and unfreezing Afghanistan\u2019s assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pakistan also highlighted the issue of Afghan refugees and called for creating a conducive environment in Afghanistan for their repatriation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting was informed that nearly 700,000 Afghans have arrived in Pakistan since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Doha (National Times) Leaders of the Afghanistan interim government held a meeting with Pakistani officials in Doha on Monday in what was seen as an effort to ease tension following the announcement of a fresh operation against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which security officials insist operate from Afghan soil. Relations between the two neighbouring countries […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n