- Kabul decides to upgrade ties after Islamabad’s move.
- Elevation paves way for enhanced bilateral cooperation: ministry.
- Move came after Chinese FM hosted meeting between nations.
ISLAMABAD: A day after Pakistan upgraded its diplomatic ties with Afghanistan, Kabul also announced elevating its diplomatic post in Islamabad to full ambassadorial status, the Afghan foreign minister said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an ambassador,” the ministry wrote on X.
“In reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the status of its mission in Islamabad from chargé d’affaires to ambassador,” it added.
The Afghan foreign ministry added that this elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have embassies in each other’s capitals but they were led by charge d’affaires, not ambassadors.
China was the first country to accept an ambassador from the Taliban-run administration in Kabul, though it does not formally recognise its government. Several other states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed.
Pakistan and Afghanistan made the announcements days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted a meeting between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban administration and said the two nations “expressed clear willingness to elevate diplomatic relations”.
The neighbours agreed in principle to send ambassadors to each other’s countries as soon as possible, Yi said after his talks with Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and FM Dar.
The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points, which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.
The issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the TTP to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.
However, days earlier, a commander of the Afghan Taliban, Saeedullah Saeed, warned terrorists of Fitna al-Khwarij against fighting the Pakistan forces, conducting attacks in the name of Jihad.
Meanwhile, Islamabad and Beijing also agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and economic cooperation.
Tensions appeared to ease after a rare meeting between Muttaqi and Dar in Kabul last month, where the Taliban’s acting foreign minister expressed concern over the deportation of tens of thousands of Afghans from Pakistan.
During the meeting, both sides agreed to continuing dialogue in a constructive and positive atmosphere to address bilateral concerns, including security, trade, transit cooperation, and broader ties.
