ISLAMABAD: Afghan Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Islamabad in the coming days — his first trip to Pakistan in two years — as part of a renewed push to strengthen high-level diplomatic exchanges between the two neighboring countries.
“Amir Khan Muttaqi will visit Pakistan soon. The dates are currently being finalized,” a diplomatic source confirmed on Thursday, adding that Kabul has accepted the invitation extended by Islamabad.
Unlike a brief stopover, the visit is expected to span three days, during which a wide range of bilateral issues will be discussed, the source added.
The planned trip follows Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s landmark visit to Kabul in April — the first by a Pakistani top diplomat in three years. That visit helped reduce tensions and laid the groundwork for deeper dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul.
Diplomatic sources said Muttaqi’s visit is part of a broader roadmap of official-level engagements developed during a March visit to Kabul by a Pakistani delegation led by Special Envoy Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq. The roadmap envisions a series of reciprocal visits and structured cooperation.
Recent actions by the Afghan Taliban government against militant groups that pose a threat to Pakistan — including elements of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — have played a key role in improving ties.
Islamabad had long urged Kabul to act against these groups. While Afghan officials previously denied the TTP’s presence and cited constraints in dealing with them, Pakistani pressure appears to have prompted a shift.
According to sources, the Taliban government has taken meaningful steps, including a crackdown on Afghan nationals affiliated with the TTP and those facilitating others to join the group. These measures have contributed to easing friction between the two sides and opening the door to more substantive cooperation.
