UNITED NATIONS, May 02 (APP): A United Nations Security Council committee has accepted a Pakistani request to allow the acting Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to travel to Pakistan next week to meet with the foreign Ministers of Pakistan and China, according to Ambassador Munir Akram.
“The Security Council’s Taliban sanction committee approved our request this (Monday) afternoon,” the Pakistani envoy to the UN told APP.
Muttaqi is subjected to a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo under Security Council sanctions.
In a letter to the committee, Pakistan’s Mission to the UN requested an exemption for FM Muttaqi who is to travel between May 6-9 “for a meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China.”
Last month, the Security Council committee allowed Muttaqi to travel to Uzbekistan for a meeting of the foreign ministers of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to discuss urgent peace, security, and stability matters.
On Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres began a two day meeting in Doha with special envoys on Afghanistan from various countries that aims “to achieve a common understanding within the international community on how to engage with the Taliban,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Dujarric said the closed-door meeting would discuss key issues, such as human rights – in particular women’s and girls’ rights – inclusive governance, countering terrorism and drug trafficking, but not recognition of the Taliban government.
Taking part are Pakistan, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Britain, the United States, Uzbekistan, the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The Taliban government was not invited to the Doha meeting.
