Muttaqi calls for dialogue between Pakistan govt and TTP

Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad on Monday that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has never claimed that women’s education was forbidden or against Islam and that it has merely stated educational activities for women have been postponed.

Muttaqi, who is on a four-day visit to Pakistan, also urged Islamabad and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to hold talks.

He said that the IEA first started negotiations between Pakistan and the TTP. “On Pakistani land, we do not desire carnage or chaos. There are significant political and security issues facing Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said as reported by Pakistan media.

According to Muttaqi, Pakistan and Afghanistan share more than just friendly ties. Historical, religious, social, geographic, and inter-ethnic linkages unite the two nations. Infrastructure investment would need to be made jointly by Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly for railway and transport projects.

He said economic ties with Pakistan and Central Asian countries are crucial and that Pakistan and Afghanistan will need to be adaptable in order to tackle issues as they arise in order to advance towards a better future.