Dr Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghan peace council, will soon pay an official visit to Pakistan as part of efforts to advance the peace process that has entered in the crucial phase with an imminent intra-Afghan dialogue.
The visit also indicates improvement in ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, often marred by mistrust and blame game.
Dr Abdullah, who was appointed as Chairman of the Supreme National Reconciliation Council as part of a power-sharing deal with President Ashraf Ghani, was invited by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to visit Islamabad, foreign office officials said on Sunday.
Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq confirmed the invitation in a tweet.
“Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are moving forward. Foreign Minister SM Qureshi has invited the Chairman of the Supreme National Reconciliation Council, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, to pay an official visit to Pakistan. Dr Abdullah Abdullah will visit at mutually convenient dates,” the ambassador said.
This will be the first visit by any senior Afghan figure in months. Relationship between the two neighbours remained tense in recent months primarily because of mistrust. Both accused the other for supporting elements destabilising each other’s country.
But, the ice broke when Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa along with ISI chief Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed visited Kabul on June 9. Ambassador Sadiq was also among the delegation that held wide-ranging talks with President Ghani as well as Dr Abdullah.
The improved ties between Islamabad and Kabul are seen as critical for any success of the intra-Afghan dialogue that is poised to start soon.
