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The Taliban’s acting foreign minister has raised “deep concern and sadness” with Pakistan over the deportation of Afghan nationals, as tensions between the South Asian neighbours show limited signs of easing, Reuters reported on Saturday.
During a one-day visit to Kabul, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, marking the first such visit by a senior Pakistani official since 2022, the report said. The meeting came against the backdrop of Islamabad’s repatriation drive that has seen more than 80,000 Afghans expelled since the end of March, a senior Pakistani official told Reuters.
In a statement after the talks, Muttaqi reportedly said he had conveyed the Taliban administration’s “distress over the deportations” as he “expressed deep concern and sadness over the situation of Afghan migrants in Pakistan and their forced deportation.”
According to the report, the statement further noted that Muttaqi “strongly urged Pakistani officials to prevent the violation of the rights of Afghans residing in or arriving in Pakistan.” The two ministers also reportedly discussed enhancing bilateral trade and ensuring that Afghan returnees are allowed to take their property proceeds from Pakistan back with them.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said, according to Reuters, that Dar had “emphasised the paramount importance of addressing all pertinent issues, particularly those related to security and border management, in order to fully realise the potential for regional trade and connectivity.”
Islamabad has on several occasions in the past claimed that extremist groups carrying out attacks on Pakistani soil find sanctuary in Afghanistan — a claim the Taliban leadership has denied.
Last year, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on Afghan territory, and earlier this year, a major border crossing between the two nations was shut down for nearly a month following clashes between security forces.
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