ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan on Friday said Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to Pakistan has been postponed for now, saying though the visit was not officially scheduled but new dates are being coordinated both by Islamabad and Kabul.
The spokesperson announced this, while addressing the weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office.
Responding to media queries regarding Muttaqi’s visit postponed due to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Sanctions Committee, he said that visit was not cancelled and schedule would be announced once the new dates are finalised.
The process of upgradation of Chargé d’affaires to Ambassadorial level in both Islamabad and Kabul has been completed as per agreement reached between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Beijing during an informal trilateral meeting, the FO spokesperson remarked.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. The issue of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil, particularly affecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, remains a central point in our discussions with Kabul. This insurgency is foreign-sponsored, and India’s involvement is well-documented,” he added. He asserted that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to upgrade the diplomatic status of their respective missions, reflecting a mutual commitment to closer cooperation.
Afghan acting FM to visit Pakistan for high-level talks next month
Expressing the country’s commitment to safeguarding its territorial integrity, Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan has successfully and resolutely defended its sovereignty, despite India’s advanced weaponry.“We welcome the United States’ interest in resolving the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute. However, there has been no high-level contact between Pakistan and India so far regarding formal talks at a third-party venue since Trump-mediated ceasefire announced in early May,” Ambassador Shafqat stressed.
He pointed out that it is now up to India to decide whether it wishes to pursue a diplomatic path toward the resolution of all outstanding bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations are historic, comprehensive, and multifaceted. Discussions on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project are ongoing. This issue is not linked to any recent call between the foreign minister and US Senator Marco Rubio, he clarified.
Iran remains a critical and valued neighbour. Pakistan is actively working to de-escalate tensions and foster mutual understanding with Tehran. Any support Israel may have extended to India in its hostile posturing towards Pakistan has failed to achieve its objectives. Pakistan has no intention of recognising Israel, nor is there any truth to rumors of secret agreements with the United States.
To another question, the FO spokesperson strongly criticised Israel’s expansionist attempts are a deliberate effort to destabilise the region and sabotage any meaningful path to peace. These provocations risk igniting a catastrophic spiral of violence across the region. The world must not remain silent in the face of such systemic, illegal, inhumane, and unlawful aggression.
Such actions constitute a blatant violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws, the UN Charter, as well as various UN and OIC Resolutions. We urge the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take immediate and concrete steps to hold Israel accountable for its illegal actions and to protect the religious sanctity of Al Aqsa Mosque and the rights of the Palestinian people, in particular the right to self-determination, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025