Islamabad: Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Afghanistan, Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani, has resumed his diplomatic duties in Kabul more than four months after he survived an assassination attempt.
On December 2, the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was attacked by gunfire, leaving one of the embassy’s security guards critically injured. Militant group ISIS-Khorasan was reportedly behind the assault.
Four months later, Nizamani assumed his office in Kabul.
Following his return, the Pakistani diplomat called on the Afghan foreign minister and “discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest”.
As a goodwill gesture, the diplomat also presented Quranic calligraphy by celebrated Pakistani artist Asghar Ali and Naqash e Masjid-e-Nabvi.
Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi Muttaqi welcomed the Pakistani diplomat and expressed hope that his return “will positively impact bilateral diplomatic relations.”
During the meeting, Muttaqi also praised “the release of the majority of Afghans from Karachi prisons” and called for the remaining to be freed before Eid Al Fitr.
He also hoped that the Pakistani Embassy would collaborate with the Afghan foreign ministry to establish a mechanism to facilitate visas.
The Pakistani diplomat’s return is seen as an important development that comes before a reported visit of Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister and his delegation to Islamabad in the first week of May.
Last week, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a phone conversation with Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest and reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to a stable, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan.
