ISLAMABAD: The government has appointed Asif Ali Khan Durrani, a career diplomat, as Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Mr Durrani two months after the post fell vacant in March when his predecessor Mohammad Sadiq resigned after serving for almost three years.
Sadiq’s resignation came following the unsuccessful peace talks with the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Kabul, which were originally initiated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
Upon assuming office, Durrani will directly report to the PM Office.
Durrani’s appointment comes at a time when the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan is under discussion with the aim to connect the landlocked Central Asian region with the world via Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Earlier this month when the foreign ministers of China and Afghanistan visited Islamabad for a trilateral dialogue, the three nations stressed the importance of exploring realistic pathways towards the revival of the Afghan economy by underscoring the imperative to generate economic activity within Afghanistan.
The three sides reaffirmed their resolve to fully harness Afghanistan’s potential as a hub for regional connectivity.
“Reaffirming their commitment to further the trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and to jointly extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan.”
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