Overview

• Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced the decision to upgrade Islamabad’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul to ambassador level to sustain recent diplomatic momentum.
• The upgrade follows a trilateral meeting in Beijing on May 21 between Pakistani, Afghan and Chinese foreign ministers aimed at resolving security concerns.
• Afghan interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is set to make his first trip to Islamabad in two years as dates are finalized by both sides.
• The diplomatic elevation is designed to boost bilateral trade, expand economic cooperation and enhance joint counterterrorism operations.
• The Afghan Taliban’s recent measures against TTP militants and its public warning against unauthorized jihad toward Pakistan have contributed to the thaw in relations.