ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the United States has not recognized Islamabad’s support and assistance in dealing with turmoil in neighboring Afghanistan since the Taliban took over power.
The capture of Kabul on August 15 propelled the US and allied forces to mount a massive weeks long effort to ferry foreign nationals and tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans out of the country. Thousands of people were evacuated by Pakistan’s national flag carrier and many more through its borders with landlocked Afghanistan.
“Pakistan extended full help to the United States in negotiations with the Taliban and during the withdrawal of its troops and people from Afghanistan,” Qureshi said on Wednesday at a news briefing organized by the Foreign Press Association in New York.
The foreign minister is in the United States for the UN General Assembly.
“United States has not recognized Pakistan’s supportive role during Afghanistan-related developments,” he told reporters, adding that Pakistan would continue to assist in the distribution of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and was ready to become a hub in this regard.
Pakistan has been sending consignments of food and medicine supplies to Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul and facilitated the evacuation of 16,000 diplomats, foreigners, aid workers, journalists and vulnerable Afghans.
A day earlier, Qureshi said that Pakistan wanted to “break out of the cyclical pattern” that had long defined its ties with the United States and build a more broad-based and multidimensional relationship.
In his keynote address at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), he said an economically strong Pakistan would be “an anchor of stability” in the region, which had suffered because of 40 years of conflict in Afghanistan.
Islamabad wanted to work with the US in areas that would create jobs and economic prosperity on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and help the Afghan people rebuild their country, he added.
Allies in the war on terror, Pakistan and the US have had a complicated relationship, bound for decades by Washington’s dependence on Pakistan to supply its troops in Afghanistan, but plagued by accusations Islamabad was playing a “double game.”
Tensions grew over the last decade over US complaints that the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network, which targeted American troops in Afghanistan, were allowed to shelter on the Pakistani soil. Pakistan denies the charge and has long insisted that the US view Islamabad beyond the lens of Kabul.
Pakistan laments lack of US recognition for Islamabad’s support in Afghanistan
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Pakistan laments lack of US recognition for Islamabad’s support in Afghanistan
- After Taliban takeover, US and allis had to ferry foreigners and tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans out of Afghanistan
- Thousands of people were evacuated by Pakistan’s PIA and many more through its land borders with Afghanistan
Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace
- Government warns pilgrims biometric verification is required for Hajj visas
- Step follows tighter oversight after last year’s Hajj travel disruptions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday urged aspiring pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas, as preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gather pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.
The announcement comes only a day after Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said regulations for private Hajj operators had been tightened, reducing their quota following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.
“Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement, urging pilgrims to complete the process promptly to avoid delays.
“Hajj pilgrims should complete their biometric verification at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app as soon as possible,” it added.
The statement said the pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, adding that details of the centers were available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application.
Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.
