Islamabad, Nov 9, (Asia Free Press): Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi will lead a “senior Afghan delegation” on a visit to Pakistan tomorrow [Nov 10], according to Afghanistan’s foreign ministry on Tuesday.
The announcement was made via Twitter by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi. He says the delegation will discuss bilateral relations, economy, transit, refugees and expanding facilities for people to move around between the two countries.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, had invited Afghan counterpart Muttaqi to Islamabad during a recent visit. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul on August 15, an Afghan minister will travel to Pakistan for the first time.
In Kabul, Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Khan met with Muttaqi on Sunday and discussed ways to improve bilateral trade, transit, movement of people, and humanitarian engagement, according to a tweet from the ambassador.
For humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Pakistan had pledged Rs5 billion during Qureshi’s visit. Afghan authorities will give top priority to commodities in this regard.
Pakistan has also eased restrictions on the movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan by removing administrative hurdles. Due to Covid-19 and the recent political changes in Afghanistan, these restrictions were put in place.
Afghan businessmen will also be granted five-year multiple-entry visas by Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul.
