Afghan women’s plea to visiting Pakistan minister
PAKISTAN’S minister of state for foreign affairs met Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister in Kabul yesterday, the latest international minister to visit the country whose Taliban rulers are not formally recognised by foreign governments.
The visit comes at a time of heightened security concerns in areas bordering Afghanistan after the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) said it would no longer abide by a months-long ceasefire with the Pakistani government. The Afghan Taliban have been facilitating peace talks between local militants and Pakistan authorities since late last year.
Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar met with acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. It was not clear whether security was discussed at the meeting.
“A range of bilateral issues of common interest including co-operation in education, health, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts and socioeconomic projects were discussed,” Pakistan’s foreign office said.
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said Muttaqi had also brought up accelerating trade and transit and facilities for travellers between the two countries as well as the release of Afghan prisoners.
Pakistan this month reopened a major Afghan border crossing that was shut for trade and transit after security forces from the two sides had clashed.
Some on social media highlighted the fact that a woman was heading Pakistan’s delegation at a time when the UN and Western officials have called on the Taliban to change course on women’s rights.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, clashes have taken place between its security forces and those of Pakistan, and militants have attacked Pakistani forces.
Pakistan has called on the Taliban to ensure it lives up to promises that it will not harbour international militants. The Taliban deny doing so.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan with a speed and ease that took the world by surprise and saw former president Ashraf Ghani flee the country and his government collapse.
Meanwhile, a leading Afghan women’s group urged Khar not to forget their plight as she visited Kabul yesterday. “You serve as an example of the status of women in our neighbouring country,” the Afghan Women’s Network, representing several activist groups, said in an open letter to Khar.
“We call on you to use your visit not only as minister but as a woman and as a Muslim woman leader to support the women of Afghanistan and strengthen our solidarity.”