ISLAMABAD:
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday said Pakistan would upgrade ties with the Afghan Taliban government after due diligence and consultations with all stakeholders.
“All stakeholders would be taken on board. We will do due diligence and discuss all pros and cons,” Dar told reporters when asked about China’s announcement about Pakistan and Afghanistan’s move to upgrade their diplomatic ties.
The Chinese foreign ministry on Wednesday said Pakistan and Afghanistan expressed their willingness to upgrade their ties and agreed in principle to exchange Ambassadors.
The statement was issued after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted Foreign Minister Dar and Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing in an informal meeting.
The trilateral meeting was not planned earlier as it was believed to have been arranged at the last moment in view of the changing geopolitical scenario.
A Pakistani official said the informal trilateral meeting was meant to deliver a clear message to India, which was trying to reach out to the Taliban government in order to advance its geostrategic interests.
Dar told reporters that Pakistan, China and Afghanistan reached an agreement to collectively fight terrorism.
He said during the three-way talks it was agreed to “collectively eliminate terrorism” from their soils, including groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the Majeed Brigade.
“Terrorism will not be allowed to stay in these countries. Obviously, it will take time,” Dar added. When asked about the use of Afghan soil, the foreign minister made it clear that any attack that was supervised by the interim government was not acceptable. However, he said there was a possibility that groups might be working without the knowledge of the Afghan government.
He said his recent visit to Kabul was productive, adding that the Afghan government had taken certain steps to rein in terrorists without providing specific details.
Dar did not rule out the possibility of the upgrade in ties with Kabul but added that the Afghan government will have to ensure that its soil was not used by terrorist groups.
“We cannot change our neighbours. In China, discussions were held on diplomatic ties, trade, and other matters. We made it clear that the Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan,” he said.
“Afghan refugees are being brought in under a single-document policy. Afghan refugees will be given a one-year multiple-entry visa to Pakistan, with a fee of $100,” he added
Dar termed his visit to China “extremely successful” saying China expressed support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It was a special visit to China at the invitation of my Chinese counterpart. On Tuesday, important meetings were held with Chinese delegations. On Wednesday, I participated in the trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan. During the trilateral meeting, discussions were held on Afghan refugees, regional developments, and trade. The agreements made during the April 19 visit to Kabul have already been implemented in Pakistan.”
“Discussions were held on launching the CPEC Phase II with China. China is ready to begin CPEC-II with this government,” he stated.
He added that Beijing agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, suggesting that a proposed highway connecting Peshawar with Kabul and a trans-Afghan railway project linking Central and South Asia could also be developed under the next stage of the CPEC, which is a multibillion-dollar extension of China’s global Belt and Road Initiative.
