ISLAMABAD: About 6 weeks ago, diplomat Asif Durrani was removed from the post of Special Envoy to Afghanistan due to an apparent disagreement between stakeholders. Since then, Pakistan has not appointed its new special envoy for Afghanistan.
There is no indication that Pakistan has any interest in appointing a Special Representative for Afghanistan. The situation between the two countries has worsened.
Sources informed in this regard told “The Express Tribune” that it is seen in the policy that Pakistan is refraining from expanding relations with the Afghan government in order not to give up support to the TTP. At a time when diplomatic relations between the two countries are at a very low level, the Pakistani government is not satisfied with the effectiveness of this position.
The Foreign Office people are also of the view that they will handle the affairs without appointing any retired officer as representative. Regional countries and other countries with interests in Afghanistan have appointed special envoys in Afghanistan to discuss their concerns with Kabul and to build better relations with other global players.
On the other hand, under the conditions of severe tension between Islamabad and Kabul, the government removed its special envoy to Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, on September 10 without giving any reason. Asif Durrani took over this position in May 2023 in place of retired diplomat Muhammad Sadiq. During his tenure, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan went from bad to worse.
Some people aware of the matter told “The Express Tribune” that Asif Durrani had failed to make any impact on bilateral relations. He did not have access to Kabul because he had little contact with the Taliban government since taking office. In the light of the overall strategy being used by Pakistan, Asif Durrani had little means of improving relations with the Taliban government.
