Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a phone call on Sunday to welcome the recent agreement to elevate diplomatic relations between the two sides to the ambassadorial level, describing the move as a positive step in improving bilateral ties, the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.
The call followed Pakistan’s announcement last week that it would appoint an ambassador to Kabul for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. During the conversation, Muttaqi confirmed that the Taliban would reciprocate by appointing an ambassador to Islamabad.
Both sides had agreed on the upgrade during Dar’s visit to Kabul on April 19, 2025. In today’s call, they reviewed the implementation of decisions made during that visit and emphasized continued cooperation to build mutual trust.
According to the statement, the two sides also discussed progress on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project, a regional infrastructure initiative. They pledged to work closely toward finalizing a framework agreement for the project, which aims to boost connectivity and trade across Central and South Asia, the statement said.
No country has formally recognized the Taliban administration, but Pakistan has maintained working-level ties, and the diplomatic upgrade is seen as a practical step to manage cross-border issues and engagement.
