ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said Thursday he would visit Kabul on Saturday, April 19, as Islamabad presses ahead with a crackdown that has forced tens of thousands of Afghans to return to Afghanistan, Pakistani media reported.
According to 24NewsHD TV channel sources, Dar is scheduled to travel to Kabul on Saturday.
Islamabad has previously announced plans to deport more than 800,000 Afghans, accusing them of links to terrorism and narcotics networks. However, analysts argue that the mass expulsions are politically motivated and reflect rising tensions between the two neighbors.
“Preparatory meetings have been ongoing and hopefully, within days, I will be visiting Kabul for a day to break this logjam which is there for the last few years,” Dar said in remarks quoted by local media.
On Wednesday, Taliban officials said that Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, informed Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, during a meeting in Kabul that Dar’s visit was imminent.
Dar’s visit comes at a time of heightened diplomatic strain between Islamabad and the Taliban, driven by security concerns and disagreements over the treatment of Afghan refugees.
