Washington
Diplomatic movement has increased between the US and Pakistan. The US did not allow Afghanistan Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Mottaki to visit Pakistan. This step has been taken at a time when the discussion of a possible alliance between the Taliban government, Pakistan and China is fast. It is believed that this stance of Washington is a result of this strategic concern.
Pakistan has claimed that Mottaki’s visit to Islamabad was scheduled on August 4, so that Kabul and Islamabad’s relations could be discussed. Earlier, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar went to Kabul by China’s mediation. In the same sequence, Mottaki was supposed to come to Pakistan for the next meeting. According to a Dawn newspaper report, international sanctions are still applicable on Mutki and they have to take special exemption from the United Nations Ban Committee for foreign travel. This time the US allegedly refused to approve the discount and avoided the decision till the last time.
In recent months, there have been several firing on the border between Pakistan and the Taliban government. Pakistan alleges that the Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban shelters Pakistan (TTP), who carries a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and then flee to Afghanistan. The Taliban has been dismissing these allegations. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafkat Ali Khan did not directly confirm the role of America, but said that “some procedural issues” is going on and the date of the journey has not been fixed. At the same time, the US State Department commented on this saying-“We don’t comment on rumors.”
