ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani, downplayed the strained relations between the two countries on Wednesday, saying both sides had held fruitful talks in Qatar and adding that he hoped for formal negotiations between them “very soon.”
Delegations from Pakistan and around 30 other countries went to Qatar to participate in the third round of United Nations-sponsored talks on integrating Afghanistan into the international community.
The Pakistan mission in the Arab country hosted a dinner for the Taliban delegation on the sidelines of the conference amid rising tensions between them.
Last week, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif hinted Islamabad could carry out cross-border attacks inside Afghanistan to target militant hideouts after officials in Islamabad blamed the authorities in Kabul for facilitating their attacks in Pakistan.
In response, Afghanistan warned Pakistan against such a move, saying it would entail “consequences.”
“I hope formal discussions with Afghanistan will kick off very soon, but I cannot give any timeframe as to when the negotiations will resume,” he told Arab News in a brief conversation over the phone.
Durrani said the Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations were not too strained since business activities were continuing between the two countries and the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was also issuing visas to Afghan nationals.
“The Qatar meeting was just an informal interaction,” he continued. “We have other channels in place to start bilateral parleys.”
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Afghan interim administration’s political office in Qatar, also told Arab News the Qatar interaction between officials of both the countries was an informal one, though it had generated hope that Kabul and Islamabad would find ways “to overcome any misunderstanding.”
“From day one, we have wanted extended economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan to stabilize their economies,” he said. “Tensions and strained ties will never benefit anyone. I hope both countries will activate their respective diplomatic channels to settle issues.”
Hopeful of formal talks with Afghanistan ‘very soon,’ Pakistan’s special envoy to Kabul says
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Hopeful of formal talks with Afghanistan ‘very soon,’ Pakistan’s special envoy to Kabul says
- Ambassador Asif Durrani downplays strained relations between the two states, says business activities are continuing between them
- Afghanistan’s Suhail Shaheen emphasizes ‘extended economic cooperation’ with Pakistan, urges both sides to work out their differences
Pakistan to introduce end-to-end digital Hajj system next year — IT minister
- Ministries of Religious Affairs and IT sign MoU to modernize Hajj operations
- Religious affairs minister says digital shift will reduce delays and human errors
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will introduce a fully digital, end-to-end Hajj management system next year, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Tuesday, covering the entire process from application to pilgrims’ return home.
The announcement followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of IT to modernize the country’s Hajj operations.
The move comes as Pakistan pushes to digitize public services and improve administrative efficiency while managing one of the country’s largest annual overseas logistical operations.
“Next year, an end-to-end digital system will be introduced covering the entire Hajj journey from application to return home,” Khawaja said. “A simple and user-friendly online Hajj portal will be established for applicants.”
Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said the digital transition would improve transparency and operational efficiency.
“The digital system will eliminate unnecessary delays and human errors,” he said.
Under the agreement, authorities will upgrade the existing Pak Hajj mobile application and integrate systems to improve coordination among stakeholders and ensure compliance with Saudi timelines.
Pakistan has already made preparations for this year’s Hajj, with the Ministry of Religious Affairs announcing this week it has completed the first phase of a 10-day technical training program for 870 Khuddam-ul-Hujjaj, government facilitators who assist Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Officials said the training includes digital navigation tools, emergency response modules and crowd management instruction.
More than 179,000 Pakistanis are expected to perform Hajj this year, requiring coordination across transport, accommodation, health services and regulatory compliance with Saudi authorities. Among these pilgrims, 119,210 will travel under the government scheme and 60,000 through private tour operators, according to ministry data.
