International News: Pakistan has claimed that the US has stopped Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki's visit to Islamabad. According to Pakistan, the US did not allow Muttaki to visit Pakistan at the last moment. This information has come to light in the report of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
According to the report, Muttaki was scheduled to reach Pakistan on August 4. The purpose of this visit was to improve the strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Earlier, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul with the mediation of China. In the same sequence, Muttaki's visit to Pakistan was fixed for the next meeting.
UN restrictions became a hurdle
Dawn has written, quoting Pakistani diplomatic sources, that international travel restrictions are still in force on Muttaki. He can travel abroad only after getting special permission from the UN Sanctions Committee. But this time the US reportedly did not approve this permission and kept postponing the decision till the last moment. It is believed that this move is the result of Washington's concern over the growing close ties between the Taliban government and China.
Tension in Pak-Afghan relations
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government of Afghanistan have been quite tense in recent months. There have been incidents of firing between the armies of the two countries in the border areas several times. Pakistan alleges that the Taliban provides safe haven to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). TTP often carries out terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and then flees to Afghanistan. However, the Taliban denies these allegations.
Silence on US role
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has not officially confirmed the role of the US in the current matter. Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said that "some procedural issues" are being worked out and no official date has been set for Muttaki's visit yet. He said, "As soon as the procedural matters are resolved, we will welcome the Afghan Foreign Minister."
On the other hand, according to the Dawn report, when the US State Department was asked in a recent briefing whether the US has stopped Muttaki's visit, the answer was - "We do not comment on rumors."
China factor and strategic concerns
Experts believe that this move of America is not limited to just stopping the visit, but there are strategic reasons behind it. Washington is closely watching the growing economic and political cooperation between China, Pakistan, and the Taliban government. China's activism in Afghanistan and Pakistan's proximity are considered a challenge to American interests.
This development has once again made it clear that the strategic tug-of-war between big countries is still going on in Afghanistan's international diplomacy, and Pakistan remains an important link in it.
