KABUL:
In the ongoing tension between Islamabad and Dehli, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq Khan was successful in his diplomacy to ensure peace on the country’s western border, sources said on Sunday.
An unannounced support of a peaceful western border came when the special envoy for Afghanistan and his Chinese counterpart were in Kabul for enhancing regional connectivity by including Kabul in the China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Sunday saw the first of a series of trilateral meeting, involving the envoys of China and Pakistan with the senior officials of the Afghan Taliban government. The meeting at Kabul’s Interior Ministry, was attended by Interior Minister Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Yue Xiaoyong, China’s special envoy, and Muhammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy, along with their delegations.
The meeting was convened to follow up on the discussions during the fifth trilateral dialogue between the foreign ministers of the three countries, prepare for the upcoming sixth round, and to enhance broader political and economic cooperation among them.
During the meeting, Haqqani underscored the importance of strengthening regional ties, stating that from the Kabul’s perspective, the advancement of economic and political relations, as well as regional understanding, could be achieved through mutual respect and constructive engagement.
The special envoys of China and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening good neighbourly relations and fostering cooperation with Afghanistan based on mutual engagement. They also agreed that the sixth round of the foreign ministers trilateral dialogue would take place in Kabul.
Besides, Interior Minister Haqqani assured a peaceful western border during the tension between Pakistan and India, according to the sources familiar with the development.
The envoys of Pakistan and China also met with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. On the occasion, there was a convergence of views on economic among them on matters pertaining to security cooperation as well as regional stability.
The interim Afghan foreign minister assured Islamabad of Kabul’s “unwavering support” during the tension. The Pakistani and the Chinese envoys also met with the Afghan Commerce Minister
Post to that, the two sides also met. As part of our ongoing trilateral engagements, I joined the Chinese Special Representative in a meeting with Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi and discussed matters pertaining to the expanding the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other related issues.
“We held constructive discussions on strengthening trade and economic cooperation. Notably, the three sides agreed to build on the understandings from the May 2023 FM-level trilateral in Islamabad, especially on extending CPEC to Afghanistan,” Envoy Muhammad Sadiq told The Express Tribune.
