Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has revealed that he plans to visit Kabul ‘soon’.

Speaking to reporters after concluding his visit to the US, Dar said that Pakistan has repeatedly called upon the Afghan Taliban government to end terrorism emanating from its territory.   

He added that he will visit Kabul soon to reiterate to Afghan authorities that they should follow international obligations and not allow Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to use their territory for attacks against Pakistan.

Dar also said that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz government had succeeded in eliminating terrorism from the country by 2018. He added that the policy of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government to resettle TTP fighters in Pakistan allowed terrorism to resurge in the country.

However, he emphasized that Pakistan still stands by its commitment to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and wants its neighbour to be economically developed. He added that Pakistan also hopes to promote regional connectivity projects to foster links with Central Asia through Afghanistan.

Dar was in New York to attend a summit on multilateralism in the United Nations Security Council chaired by China. In his address, Dar called for the Afghan Interim Government to take decisive steps to counter terrorism. He also called for an end to double standards in the global fight against terrorism.

Pakistan has not officially recognised the Taliban government that took power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the fall of Kabul. However, the government does maintain diplomatic presence in Kabul.